The Galian
by Spiritslayer
Summary: COMPLETE - After stopping Meteor, Vincent Valentine has found himself unsure of where to go, what to do, all the while contending with an unruly demon. When he learns an old comrade goes missing, he wonders if he can find them...
1. Prologue

_Bear with me, as this is my first venture into a Vincent/Tifa pairing. Please do review, whether you like this or not. It'll tell me how to improve, or if I've done a good job. If you don't, pay no mind to the ninja I just placed in your closet. -Spiritslayer_

_Another thing. I don't own any of the characters, places, etc. within this story. I do, however, own the story. Also, there IS one character who's original; that character is mine too. -Spiritslayer_

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A bleak air hung around Tifa as she looked upon the night sky, eyes dancing among the stars. So much had happened in the last few days, most notably the recent addition to their small group. She focused her attention for a moment on the sleeping form of the aforementioned addition, then turned back to the stars.

_I'm not sure what to make of him,_ she thought to herself, clasping her hands around her knees and leaning back slightly. _He's mysterious in every aspect of the word. Just thinking about it..._ She shivered slightly, owing only partly to the chill of the night air. _It's almost as though he doesn't really want to be here, as though he's only here to get revenge on someone. After he does that, then what?_

She closed her eyes, allowing the sounds of the Nibel area to distract her, turn her thoughts away from him. Her previous experience as a guide through Mt. Nibel had seen them all safely through the mountain, although their fight against the Materia Keeper had left them all hurting.

She shook her head. There was no point dwelling on it much longer; they had beaten the beast down with his aid and learned what he was capable of. She began softly humming a tune she remembered fairly well from her past, one she played on her piano frequently.

"You mind?" she heard a dark voice say, making her jump and stop humming. She turned to face the now-awake Vincent Valentine.

"You're awake?"

"No thanks to you."

She was almost positive he was glaring at her. It sent a chill down her spine, but she did her best to avoid showing it. "Well, sorry if I'm trying to keep myself from going crazy! I'm only bored here!" She looked up at the sky again, agitated.

"Sleep, then." He smirked slightly. "Or can you?"

She scoffed. "If I could sleep, I'd be asleep right now. Guess you wouldn't exactly know what that's like, though. What with being asleep for that long and all."

He remained silent, his eyes fixed on her. She could almost tell he was absolutely glaring at her.

"Sorry. I got a little... carried away." She released her knees and turned to face him. "Even though I can't sleep, I'm really tired right now."

He grunted slightly, possibly to demonstrate understanding.

"So..." She wondered if she should ask the question that had just barely cropped up in her mind. "Who was it that stuffed you in that coffin, anyway?"

"None of your business," he responded curtly, crossing his arms.

_Friendly much?_ "Fine. Not like I really cared anyway. Just thought I'd try and pass the time while we're both awake." She looked skyward again, assuming the conversation over.

"...Hojo."

"Hm?" She looked down at him quizzically. "What about him?"

He closed his eyes and shook his head, disbelieving. "You just asked who sealed me in the coffin."

"Wait a second. Hojo did that to you?" She felt her eyes widen. "Cloud had mentioned that he, Barret and Cait Sith had found you in a coffin, but..." She paused. "Did you tell them that too?"

He simply nodded. "More or less."

"More or less...?" she repeated, mulling the words over. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Forget it. It's none of your business."

"Sheesh. Then why even bother telling me about Hojo...?" she muttered to herself.

Silence settled between them, and Tifa wondered if he had fallen asleep again. She grinned softly and began humming again.

"Again, do you mind?" he grumbled.

She giggled. "A-ha! So you are still awake."

"And? What's it matter?"

"None of your business." She wondered how he liked getting his own line thrown back at him.

"Very funny."

She glanced at the tent that Cloud was asleep in. "How can everyone else sleep so soundly? Are the two of us the only ones awake right now?"

He said nothing.

"I mean, Cloud's pretty much our leader; of course he's tired. Barret's getting older and older by the day, too."

A sneeze erupted from Barret's tent, but didn't seem to interrupt his sleep.

"Aeris is... well, there's not really much reason for her to be exhausted, I think. I mean, sure, it was a long hike through the mountain. Yuffie's a ninja, but only complained while we were hiking through. And Red... well, I'm amazed he was tired. Animals tend to be more active than humans, and that's mainly because they live in the wild. And Cait Sith..." She hesitated. "I don't really know his deal. He doesn't really do much that'd tire him out easily, but his big Mog is another deal."

"Hey."

"Huh?" She looked at Vincent expectantly. "What's up?"

"Shut up. I'm trying to sleep here."

She opened and closed her mouth, trying to find words to toss at him. All that escaped her were muted protests.

"Thank you," he sighed, trying to get comfortable again.

"W-w-what was that?!" she finally shouted at him. "I'm just--"

"Being annoying, yes. If you're working on it, stop. You've got the act down to an art form."

She fumed silently, not exactly eager to wake everyone else just because Vincent was being...

"Prick," she mumbled. "I'm just trying to pass the time..."

He raised an eyebrow. "Complaining's not the best way to pass time at night."

"Oh? And what would you suggest?" she sneered, fed up with his attitude.

He held up an arm. "You hear that?" he asked quietly.

She stood slowly, listening intently. "Hear what?"

"Listen."

She stood, frozen in time, straining her ears to hear what he had heard. "Vincent..." she whispered. "What are you hearing?"

He didn't reply.

"Vincent?" She turned her head to face him, and resisted every urge to clobber him.

He had managed to get her to stay quiet long enough for him to fall asleep again.

"Son of a bitch..." she grumbled, plopping down. "I swear, he tries to get under my skin..." She reclined as best she could, cursing him. The insults she thought up slowly died away as she fell asleep.

He listened to her fall asleep, then opened his eyes slowly once more.

_About time she fell asleep. Gaia knows she needs it._ He felt a smile play at his mouth, and figured there was no harm it letting it through; it wasn't like she would see it.

He began losing himself in thought, and the smile slipped away. _Lucrecia... Hojo... Two names I'll never forget for as long as I live. He did horrendous things to further his research, using Lucrecia's own son as a test subject for his own twisted desires. He used me, too, but for what purpose? Why didn't he just let me die? Why did he bring me back to life as I am now?_ He clenched his golden left claw, a faint clinking noise ringing as he did. _To spite me? To spite Lucrecia? Or am I just another experiment in his eyes? Whatever the reason, I'll make him answer for what he's done to me. He may not be able to reverse it, but he'll certainly pay for the atrocities he's committed not just to me, but to her as well._

He was brought back to reality as Tifa's sleeping form stirred slightly, then relaxed again. _We've all been through a lot today. I think I overdid things as the Galian, but as long as we made it through alive and well. _He recalled faintly his time during his transformation earlier. It was certainly fuzzy in places, but some parts stood out more than others. He closed his eyes, trying to force it from his mind. Something else had stirred deep in his mind.

_**You enjoyed every moment of it, every moment of ripping your target to shreds. It brought pleasure to you**, _a beastly voice taunted him.

_No. I never enjoy it. I never enjoy losing control like that._

_**Don't lie to yourself. What'll that accomplish for you, eh?**_

_Shut up. I wish you were never a part of me. Why Hojo did this is beyond me, but--_

_**Heh heh heh... Hojo is a brilliant man, you know. Why, he was better than you in every regard...**_

_I said shut up!_

_**He also stole her from you, and what could you do? All you did was watch it happen. You're pathetic.**_

"I said shut up!" he seethed, unaware he had said it aloud. It wasn't often the voice of the Galian Beast taunted him, but he always felt his blood boil when he did argue with the beast.

_**So you think you're better than he is?**_

_I know I'm better! I'm not as twisted as he is! I don't use other people as experiments!_

_**And that's why you are inferior. He's not afraid of pursuing his goals, no matter the cost. To uncover the mysteries of science, one must be willing to--**_

Vincent wrenched his rifle from its holster and pointed it at his chest, where the beast's core resided.

_**Hah. You intend to kill me, even if you sacrifice yourself?**_

He hesitated, right arm moving slowly down toward the trigger.

_**Do it, if you're so bold. But know this: if you don't kill either me or yourself instantly, I'll simply take control and slaughter your new friends!**_

_Bastard..._ He lowered his rifle and groaned, holstering it and sitting again.

_**You see? You can't do anything about anything. You're weak, you're useless.**_

Vincent didn't respond to the beast's newfound taunts. He simply rested both elbows on his legs and rested his face in both hands, the cool metal of his left arm pressing against his cheek.

_**Give in, Valentine. Let me take over for good. The world's better off without you, seeing whereas you're of no use to anyone. I, on the other hand, am capable of so much more than you'll ever be.**_

_You want control that bad?_ Vincent finally retorted. _Kill me for control, then. See if you're really so much better than me._

He suddenly clutched his chest as the Galian Beast began raging inside him, attempting to force itself out to the surface, to overtake Vincent's body. He resisted it with all his might, but felt his control waver slightly. _You... bastard..._

_**This is proof that I'm better than you!** _the beast roared. _**You can't even contain a transformation like this!**_

Vincent's eyes squeezed shut, wondering if he could keep the Galian Beast sealed inside. He clutched his chest tighter, his left claw digging into the flesh...

He suddenly felt hands upon him, and he felt the beast calm down slightly. He made the most of this vulnerability the beast had opened up and managed to seal it away, to contain it once again. His breathing was heavy, his grip tight on his chest. He slowly opened his eyes to see who had laid hands on him.

Tifa was looking at him, concerned. It seemed as though all traces of their earlier fight were gone. "Vincent...?" she asked.

He released his chest and brushed her hands off him gently, trying to steady his breathing.

She sat back, eyes still fixed on him. "Are you..."

He looked up at her, his red eyes half-open. "I suppose thanks are in order," he panted, eyes moving to his left claw; blood was glistening on the tips of his digits. He looked to his chest and closed his eyes, chuckling softly. "The Galian... He's trying to overcome me..." he muttered.

"The Galian? You mean that beast you changed into earlier?"

Vincent nodded. "The Galian is one of three entities trapped in my body, but he's the only one who tries to constantly take me over. The other two seem to have accepted it, but..." He leaned back, his right hand shooting to his chest. He heaved a sigh. "Tifa."

"What?"

He could sense the former apprehension from earlier coming back to her tone, but paid it no mind. "I'm not sure if you had a direct effect on the Galian or not, but..." He opened his eyes and locked his with hers. "Thank you." He removed his right hand from his chest and looked at the palm. His own blood stained his bare hand, as well as a greenish tint that was unmistakably the Galian Beast's blood.

_It'd seem as though I quelled him, but is that the case?_ he wondered, eyes still on the bloodstains on his hand. _Or did Tifa have some effect on him, too?_ He felt his breathing stabilize, and he dropped his right hand carelessly. He faintly heard a deep, low growl rumble from within him.

_Either way, that's not the end of it. The Galian will keep trying and trying until he manages to take over my body. _He closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep once more.

* * *

_Well, that's the prologue. Reviews pending, I'll hurry with the next part of the story, although I'm working on the next part all the same. Again, review and let me know how I did. I accept criticisms as well as compliments, as they let me know what I'm doing right and wrong. And again, if you don't review, then don't worry about it. That ninja's only sharpening his ninja sword because he's bored. -Spiritslayer_


	2. Still Struggling

_Well, I will say I was certainly nervous about the reviews I'd get for the prologue. Two's not bad, but I wouldn't mind more. Regardless, I finished this chapter sometime last night (or was that at 4:00 this morning...?) Either way, I think it's pretty good, but hey, I'm the writer here. My opinion only matters so much, right?_

_This is normally where I'd drivel on and on about how I don't own any of the characters in this story, sans one, but that should be readily apparent already. So, without much further ado, here's Chapter 1. Hope you enjoy this. -Spiritslayer_

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_It's been five months..._

Vincent glanced about the ruined Midgar, eyes taking in the disastrous scene. His eyes rested on the Shinra building, and he felt a small pang of satisfaction to see that it had been destroyed. His eyes left the building to trace the edge of the Sister Ray, and his eyes inadvertantly moved to the spot where he had fought and defeated Hojo.

_He's finally burning in hell, I hope. Then again, his body did go missing shortly after the fight ended. Maybe he survived somehow?_ He shook his head violently. _No, he can't have. I can't bear to think of it that way. He's dead now._

He heard a chuckling noise from within, a beastly laugh that would have unnerved any other person.

_**The great Hojo, dead? Isn't that your greatest wish right now...**_

_I didn't ask you for your input,_ he replied coolly to the beast. _I prefer it when you're silent, when you've shut up._

_**Heh. **_The beast resumed chuckling.

Vincent tore his eyes from the control panels of the Sister Ray and turned away from the sight, starting to walk away.

_**And where's the supposed great Valentine going off to? You have no home, no friends. Your isolation seems to have become the end of you.**_

_A home, I don't have. Friends, though, I do have. Surely I can find something from there._

_**And if they all turn you away, if they all shun you?**_

_Then it only means it's time for me to find new friends, to find a new place to live._

_**How about you just let me take over for good instead? Your so-called friends won't care if you go missing.**_

He found himself wondering about that. What if he had gone missing? Would Cloud look for him? Or Barret? Cid had usually been a bit of a drinking buddy if anything, and he was bound to have found new people to drink with. The man behind Cait Sith, Reeve, was busy trying to get the world back in order, much as it had been before Meteor.

_**You're running out of options.**_

_Shut up. I didn't ask for your input._ He sighed, eyes straight ahead as he walked for the gates leading to the wastelands outside Midgar. Yuffie'd probably be glad to see him again, but he always found his friendship with her more of a neccessity while they were fighting together, not genuine. He wondered about Nanaki, and shook his head. _He has enough on his mind._

_**Out of options.**_

_Am I?_ He wondered about Tifa. _Granted, we never really got along to start, but we do seem to understand one another now. I wonder how she'd handle me appearing out of nowhere, wondering how she's been?_ He paused a moment. _No. She'd think something was wrong with me. Best if I leave her alone too._

_**Heh heh heh... No one would be willing to take a loner, a monster such as yourself in.**_

Vincent bristled slightly to hear one of his four monstrous counterparts refer to him as a 'monster', but ignored it largely. He resumed walking, intent on leaving Midgar's ruins and proceeding straight to the newer town of Edge. He had passed it on his way to Midgar, and could tell that it was obviously under heavy construction. It appeared to be a small village right now, but he had a feeling it'd grow quickly, become a bustling place like Midgar once was, minus the Mako reactors, he hoped. He passed a small church in Sector 5, and glanced inside for a moment, not particularly keen on walking inside, for fear of deviating from his original destination.

_I didn't know there was such a place in the slums of Midgar. And yet... I feel like I've seen it before, when I was training with Shinra to become a Turk. I can't recall... Did I ever go down to the slums? To Sector 5?_ He furrowed his brow slightly, trying to recall some of his past. As he did, however, the more prevalent memories came back to haunt him, especially the nightmarish memories of Hojo's experimentation. He clutched his head with his right hand, trying to force the memories from his mind.

_**You're weak. One simple memory, and your whole basis of control is thrown off balance. It'd probably be so easy to take you over right now, but there's no point if you can't resist me for a while.**_ The Galian Beast roared with laughter in his mind.

Vincent continued on his way, trying -- and failing -- to ignore what his unruly demonic counterpart had said. He knew it was true, that when he recalled his past, his very soul wavered, if only for an instant. This was his most common reason for never sharing his past with anyone he had ever met. The only exceptions were when he first met Cloud, Barret and Cait Sith, when he had to recall Lucrecia. That alone had almost set the Galian Beast free. There was one other exception...

His gold-plated right foot kicked into something as he walked, and he glanced down to see what it was. He looked in slight surprise as he realized it was a human skull, likely placed there by the sheer force of Meteor five months ago. He scanned the ground around him and noticed that the ground was littered with bones of all sorts. In his lifetime, he had seen enough deathly scenes for him to be rendered immune to what would have made someone else squeamish, or even sick. He simply dismissed it as a tragedy and focused on the gate leading to the wastes outside.

He had barely exited the gate when he felt a stirring in his chest. He clutched his chest with his right hand, cursing silently and hoping he was mistaken. He thought he heard the Galian Beast chuckle, and he began resisting the transformation as best he could, quelling the demon within a matter of moments. He released his chest slowly and looked skyward. _Very funny._

_**Had to make sure my top quarry was on the top of his game, or it'd be no fun taking you over for good. A struggle's always nice, especially when I win.**_ He was sure that if he was standing face to face with the Galian Beast, he'd have to look away at this point to avoid its horrid grin, to avoid... He wasn't sure what else he'd have to avoid, but he was certainly grateful that the demon only emerged when he let it. He tried setting this small incident aside and progressed through the wastes, headed in the general direction of Edge.

It wasn't until he reached Edge that a thought dawned on him. He wasn't entirely sure where everyone was staying. He was fairly sure Nanaki had gone back to Cosmo Canyon and Yuffie went home to Wutai, but from there, it was certainly questionable. He would have pegged Cid settled in Rocket Town if Cid weren't a pilot, and wondered if Barret had returned to Corel or found a home elsewhere. His thoughts drifted once again to his old comrades, and he absentmindedly wondered where they all were right now, what they were all doing. Why he had chosen Edge to settle down at -- for a short while, anyway -- was beyond him; he couldn't see any of his comrades moving here to such a small village. When it had become a town, possibly, but not as it was now.

As he found himself stopping in the square, his eyes on the monument of Meteor as people were putting the finishing touches on it, he wondered if he had done the right thing, leaving as soon as they had finished Sephiroth off and confirmed the planet's safety from the magic that had hung in the sky like a time bomb for so long. He certainly hadn't planned on sticking around with any of them at the time, and he had thought it was the right thing to do. Now, though, he wasn't so sure. A small smirk played at his mouth. It wasn't like they were entirely accepting of him from the start; leaving them wasn't that big a deal in his eyes.

His right hand moved slowly to his chest as he felt a slight disturbance inside, and he made a mental note to fend off the demon if it tried anything while he was reminiscing, his soul slightly weakened by such memories. He shrugged it off -- much to the dismay of the Galian Beast inside him -- and walked past the crowd around the monument, intent on reaching the inn and getting a place to stay for a while. He knew the demon seemed to thrive on his pain and suffering, and by ignoring it entirely, he deprived the Galian of that pleasure. It usually brought a victorious smirk to his face when he knew he had beaten the demon for the moment, and in his own way, he thrived on the Galian's pain and suffering.

He was almost at the inn when he saw a sign hanging outside the entrance to a rather busy place. He probably wouldn't have bothered with it at all if it hadn't read 'Tifa's 7th Heaven'. _Tifa..._ He hesitated, then turned for it. If nothing else, it'd be a change of pace to see a familiar face.

He immediately regretted his decision; people were practically packed inside, and he shifted uncomfortably. He had never done well in crowds for a reason... His eyes scanned the bar and he found a vacant table in a corner away from the commotion. He set off for it promptly, a look on his face seemingly daring anyone to take it on him. No one seemed to answer the dare, however, as he sat down and tried relaxing. This proved difficult over the noise, however, and he found himself rubbing his head with his right hand, his golden left arm crossing his chest. He closed his eyes and tried to drown out the noise, to focus and regain his composure.

_Gaia... you'd think these bastards would quiet down..._ he thought bitterly, lowering his right arm and crossing it with his left. He opened his eyes slowly, half hoping to see the crowd had vanished. He knew better, though, and instead focused his eyes on the woman approaching him slowly.

Her expression was one of genuine surprise, and he amused himself by counting the number of times she blinked in what he assumed to be disbelief. _Twelve, _he mused to himself, a smirk creeping to his face.

"Is... is that really you, Vincent?" she asked slowly, apparently still disbelieving.

He gave a small nod. "Tifa. You're doing well, I see."

She nodded in return, apparently in shock to see him. "I..." She sat down opposite him. "I always thought you were never one for crowds, so I thought I'd never see you here of all places..."

He remained silent, examining her slowly. His hair hid his eyes from view, so she couldn't see him looking at her. "I wasn't ready to retire for the night. Not yet," he finally said, realizing she was going to try and force him to talk to her. It was best to give in, he had found, when she did this; in the past, it led to rather surprising amounts of discomfort around her.

"So..." She gave a smile, propping her elbows on the table and resting her head in her hands. "What's up?"

He shook his head lightly. "Nothing." He felt obligated to return the question. "And you?"

"It's been nothing but busy since I moved here. I opened this bar a few weeks after I moved, and look at it. It's bustling." She turned her attention away from him long enough to look at the various patrons. "I rarely got this much business when my bar was in Sector 7."

"Hm..." He didn't want to ask any questions about it, lest those questions be turned back to his own past. Lest he give the Galian an opening...

She giggled. "Still as moody as ever, I see."

Silence met her ears.

"So, Vincent. We were all planning a get-together next month, to see where we had all--"

"No thanks," he said flatly.

Her smile faltered. "At least let me finish!" she said, crossing her arms. "Sheesh..."

"I'm not one for crowds, remember?" He smirked at her, curious to see how she'd respond.

"I'd hope that just the eight of us wouldn't count as a crowd!" she shot back hotly, eyes frowning at him.

"I count eight as a crowd. Only reason I didn't mind five months ago was because it was more something of neccessity."

She almost felt stung by his words, and wasn't entirely sure why. "Why neccessity? Aren't we your friends?" she asked quietly.

"Comrades. There's a difference."

"Oh." Her face was crestfallen. "I see..." She stood slowly, trying to get back into the mood a businesswoman should have. "Well, could I get you anything?"

He shook his head. "With that crowd, I'm worried they'll knock whatever I order out of your hands."

She looked at him, almost touched, but felt whatever bubble was generating around her pop when he added "It'd be a waste of drink and time."

A demonic laugh erupted inside him, causing him to frown. _Chaos never gives me this much trouble. You're the only one that I wish didn't exist, Galian._

_**Chaos is a pansy. I'm something more. I'm something much, much more.**_

He ignored the last comment. His eyes focused on Tifa again as she walked back to her original position behind the counter. _I wonder... am I too rough on her? She's the only one that really bothers to try and understand me. For that, I should at least be grateful, but the way I treat her..._

_**Fitting for a monster. She'd never accept you entirely for it, you know. You've done horrific things in your past that no one could ever forgive.**_

_Do you ever shut up?_ he wondered to the demon._ What's my past got to do with anything?_

_**Well...**_ Vincent suddenly knew what was coming, and he prepared to ignore every word of it. _**There's your track record as a Turk...**_

_I often wonder how it is you know all these things about me when you were put into my body by that madman after all the events,_ he thought bitterly, simply choosing to ignore the beast from there on out. However, he eventually came to regret the decision.

All at once, his chest seemed to sear, as though on fire. He shot both hand and claw to it, clutching his chest and gritting his teeth, trying to resist the demon's attempt at a forced transformation. He slowly turned the golden claw and sank the five digits into his chest, the fire seeming to die down as he did, though it still burned.

_**Not good enough, **_the demon taunted him, cackling.

He stood abruptly and walked outside, digging his claws deeper into his chest as though he could dig the Galian out and discard its core on the street. He gave a small shudder and wondered if the demon had somehow managed to wrest control from Vincent. He felt his body respond to the demon's actions, and his mind darted about, trying to think of the best way to counter the forced transformation. He pondered for a moment transforming into Chaos, Death Gigas or even Hellmasker, but decided against it; it'd make him all the more vulnerable to the Galian's efforts and he'd lose control entirely at that point. He gritted his teeth, his claws sinking deeper into his chest. He could almost swear blood was starting to spray from the self-inflicted wound on his chest, and was mildly grateful the claws were blocking the majority of the spray.

_**Give in, Valentine!**_ The demon's attempt seemed to grow weaker with each passing second, and Vincent knew it was all just a matter of outlasting the beast until it was too exhausted to keep trying. He wondered how long he could outlast the Galian, though; his own grip on his chest was weakening, and he was still giving it his all to fight off the unwanted transformation. Vincent found himself staggering away from the entrance of the bar and off to the side, to the small space between it and the building to its left. Once he was in the space, he leaned his back against the building opposite the bar, chest throbbing.

_**Curse you.**_ The demon ceased its efforts to take over, and Vincent was left with the throbbing in his chest, originating at his claw. He closed his eyes, preparing himself for what he knew was to come. He removed his claw from his chest slowly.

He was certainly relieved to find that the blood wasn't spraying, but it did flow rather freely from his chest, running down his front. He shot his right hand to his chest to halt the bleeding as best he could, knowing it could only work for so long. His eyes examined the bloodied tips of his claw, and he slowly slid down the side of the building until he was sitting down. He continued pressing his hand against his chest; he hadn't dug in that much ever before, so he wasn't positive he'd make it through. He heaved a small sigh, unsure of whether he was proud of his victory over the Galian this time, or if he'd regret it. _You..._

_**Mm? What about me?**_

_You're more trouble than you think you're worth. If I could dig your core out myself... _He flexed his claw into a fist as best he could.

_**Hah. You don't seem to realize what that means, so I'll tell you. Do you know what my core is?**_

Vincent paused to think about this. He had never really thought about it, and conveyed this silently with a small shake of his head. He peeled his right hand from his chest and examined the wound carefully. It was still bleeding, but it had started to slow down. He let a relieved sigh escape his lips and pressed his hand against his chest again. _All I know is that it's somewhere in my chest._

_**Heh heh heh. Digging my core out is the same as killing yourself. Think carefully.**_

Vincent's eyes widened quickly as he realized the Galian's core. _You... your core is... my heart...?_

_**Quite right. You only thought Hojo experimented on your arm and legs? That he had injected the three of us into you? Nothing so simple. He did a thorough job in... reconstructing you. I think the only thing he didn't touch was your mind, and I must say that he was quite right in leaving that alone.**_

Vincent slowly pieced together what the Galian was essentially telling him. _He killed me, then brought me back to life as I am. What you're saying... is that my mind is the only thing he left alone? That he replaced everything else...?_

_**That and your right arm. I'll never quite understand why your right arm as well, but it's none of my concern. I just enjoy seeing those haunting memories that flash through your mind from time to time. Especially when you sleep. Oh, the nightmares make me feel so alive...**_

The demon's cackling went unheard by Vincent as the realization of Hojo's madness sank into him. Hojo hadn't just brought Vincent back to life, he had turned him into an abomination beforehand. His eyelids closed as this fact continued to sink into him.

"Vincent? Are you alright? I saw you leave, clutching your chest..." he heard a familiar voice ask.

"...Tifa." He didn't have to open his eyes, didn't have to look at her, to know it was her.

He heard her gasp. "Your left arm... it's all bloodied..." He felt her move past him to his left side, and remained silent. "Your chest! Vincent..."

He slowly opened his eyes and turned his head to face her. "This is nothing," he said.

"But..." She looked from his chest to his eyes, then his chest, then his claw, then his eyes again. "You did this to yourself...?"

He gave a small nod. "I had no choice," he said, resting his head against the wall behind him.

"Vincent..." She bit her lip slowly, as though she wasn't sure she wanted to say what was on her mind. "...We need to get you inside, to tend that wound."

"I'll be fine." He closed his eyes again.

She scoffed. "No you won't. Come on, I'm not taking 'no' for an answer." He suspected she stood up, and had his notion more or less confirmed when he felt her hands trying to pull him to his feet.

He brushed her hands away, standing moments after. He removed his hand from his chest and looked at the wound.

"There's no way, Vincent. I'm not letting you go with a wound that bad." She shook her head. "I've got a spare room inside. You're welcome to stay there as long as you need, but I won't let you leave until you've healed."

He knew at this point that it was pointless to argue. He had found that once her mind was set, to oppress her was a foolish mistake. He simply walked forward slowly, replacing his hand on the wound. He paused and turned enough to face her.

"What?" she asked, a quizzical look on her face.

"...Lead. I don't know where this spare room is."

She nodded, slipping past him and leading the way. She glanced behind her to make sure he was still following; she wouldn't put it past him to leave while she wasn't looking.

A small smirk found its way to his face, his cloak masking it from her view. He knew she was wary, and he knew that if he had a chance of getting out of it before, he didn't anymore. "I'm not going anywhere," he finally said, if only to reassure her.

She slowly turned to face forward, as though doubting him, but eventually believed him and continued forward, helping him inside.

His eyes scanned the bar, and he resisted the urge to chuckle. There were still people in the bar, and all of them were looking at him as though he were a monster. She glared at them as though daring them to say so, continuing to lead him inside.

"...Tifa."

"I don't want to hear it, Vincent."

"Fine." He smirked, wondering if she really knew what it was he wanted to say.

_**This woman...**_

_What about Tifa?_

_**...**_ For once, the Galian was rather quiet. As Vincent reflected on it, he realized that the demon usually fell quiet when Tifa was around. He wondered about this, trying to figure out the connection. His concentration was cut short when she turned to face him, a smile on her face.

"Here it is. Go on," she coaxed, gently pushing him inside.

He looked around with an air of disinterest. "...Tifa."

"Cloud should be back shortly. He's been busy as well."

"Tifa."

"What?" she finally said, resigning herself to whatever he had to say.

"...Thank you." He turned to face her.

Her face was slightly flushed, as though she wasn't expecting that. "Oh, um... no problem. I do what I can for friends." She smiled at him. "Never thought I'd hear the day you'd thank someone, though..."

He smirked again. "Don't get used to it."

* * *

_And, that's Chapter 1. Reviews are welcome, though not forced. Although, that ninja's likely found a picture of you and has taken to practicing his shuriken technique on it. Ignore him, he's not too dangerous._

_I've already begun Chapter 2, and I'm almost done with it. Amazing what a downed Internet will do to me, isn't it? But, just for the sake of keeping you all in suspense, I won't put that up until I know this chapter's been read. No sense putting up a new chapter if I can't readily tell how interested people are in this one. Another reason to review, I guess. I will warn you, Chapter 2's a little shorter, but bear with me. I'm stuck using WordPad and my amazing spelling ability, coupled with OCD, to write these._

_Yes, I have OCD. We'll manage; it works wonders for my grammar too._

_One other thing. My chapters come rather quickly to mind because I have a lot of spare time on my hands. I walk about an hour a day, if not two. Enough time to brainstorm what happens next._

_Well, I'm just stalling now. Back to Chapter 2 (or 3, for those of you who actually bother counting the prologue as Chapter 1). -Spiritslayer_


	3. Two Sides of a Page

_I'll skip banter and just let you move on to the chapter. With one small exception, of course. I realize the last chapter was fairly long (4,000+ words, to be precise), and that this one's considerably shorter. Bear with me on this, please and thank you. -Spiritslayer_

* * *

It had been two weeks since Vincent had come under Tifa's care for his chest wound, and not once during that time did the demon responsible for the wound bother him. Vincent was more and more convinced that the Galian Beast and Tifa were connected somehow which each passing day, so he tried taking it up directly with the demon more and more, much to the annoyance of the demon.

_**For the last time, Valentine, silence! You couldn't possibly get any more annoying!**_

_Welcome to my world as of two weeks ago._ He was sitting up in his bed, back propped against the headboard. He was holding a book, trying to read it and unfurl the mystery behind Tifa and the Galian Beast at the same time. He was getting nowhere fast with either one.

_**Ask the woman! I refuse to answer!**_

_I have, and you know that. She doesn't know either._ He furrowed his brow, knowing the demon wasn't about to pester him, and decided to put the matter aside; for whatever reason, the demon wouldn't act up with Tifa around, so he decided to make the most of the silence and read. He'd get to the bottom of the mystery later.

A knocking on his door caught his attention, and he didn't move his eyes from the book. "Enter," he said, turning a page carefully with his right hand.

The door opened and Tifa stepped inside. "Good morning," she said brightly.

"Mm."

She sighed. "Even now, you're still a buzz kill. Typical." She giggled, hands behind her back. "Can I get you anything?"

He shook his head, still engrossed in the book.

"Where'd the kinder Vincent I saw a couple weeks ago get off to?"

He snorted. "Kinder?"

"Well..." It was her turn to smirk. "The old and current Vincent would never say 'thank you'."

"I told you not to get used to it." He turned a page.

"I thought you had been kidding. Guess I shouldn't have thought you capable of a joke." She sighed, bringing her hands in front of her. A roll of bandages was in her right hand. "I thought you might need these."

He glanced up at the roll and shook his head. "I'm fine now."

"Oh." Regardless, she set the bandages down on the small desk situated next to the door. "So..." She turned her attention to his book. "You read?"

He didn't reply; it was obviously a novel, and the turning of another page pretty much gave her the answer.

"A lot."

"When I get a chance."

"I've noticed." She tried to see the title, but found that his claw obscured it from view on both the spine and front cover. "What's the book?"

He sighed, looking up at her. "Is something wrong?"

She shook her head. "No, nothing's wrong. Why?"

He caught her gaze. "You're in my room."

"Wait, I need a reason to be friendly?!" she asked, almost offended. "And I'll remind you that this is my room!"

"Well, considering the fact that you're renting..." he muttered, a smirk playing at his mouth. He broke the gaze and went back to reading. "That'd make this room the landlord's room."

She opened her mouth to speak, and shut it just as quickly; she realized what he was trying to do. "Funny, Vincent. You're a real riot." She rolled her eyes, turning to leave. "Guess I'll leave you to your book, then."

He knew at that moment she recognized the game he was playing with her. He looked up from the book at her backside. "'Demons Past'." He turned his attention back to the book.

She hesitated. "Demon's past? What?" She glanced over her shoulder.

"Demons Past." He held his place with his right hand and closed the book, holding it up for her to see the front cover. "...It's what I'm reading."

"Uh..." She turned to face him again. "Oh, right. I asked."

He nodded, opening the book and beginning to read again. "That you did."

"What's it about? Is it fiction? Non-fiction?"

_Guess I asked for these new questions. May as well answer them._ "Fiction."

"I didn't know you were into fiction. I've always seen you as the kind of guy who prefers to read facts."

He wasn't sure how to respond, so he didn't.

"So what's it about?"

He shrugged slightly.

"You don't know? Aren't you reading it?" she asked incredulously.

Silence.

"You paying attention to me?"

He nodded. "I wouldn't recommend this book to you."

She looked confused. "What's that have to do with anything?"

He let a small, growling sigh escape his lips. "It's difficult to explain."

She seemed to be glaring at him, trying to force answers out of him.

"What the book's about, I mean."

"Oh." She realized where he was going with this.

"And I don't think you'd understand it too well were you to read it." He turned another page.

"Why's that?"

"It's a complicated read."

"How so?"

He pondered how to word it, and settled for five words. "I don't really understand it."

"So why keep reading it? Most people would--"

"Set it aside, to find something they do understand. I'm not like most people, though."

She giggled, knowing just how true that was.

"I keep reading in hopes of understanding it all once I'm finished with it."

"Makes sense."

"Does it really?"

"Huh?"

He remained silent, hoping he didn't really have to repeat himself.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Faced with a book like this, would you set it aside, or keep reading it?"

"I'd keep reading!"

"Hm, I wonder." He glanced at the page number and looked up at her, eyes locking with hers again. "Had we not had the previous discussion, would you keep reading it?"

"I..." Her eyes fell and studied a spot on the wooden floor. "Probably not."

He gave a small nod. "As I thought. It's human nature to want to understand something from the beginning. If they can't, they usually abandon it, doubtful it'll ever make sense."

"How can you call it human nature? That's going beyond interest in books, Vince." She realized what she had said and held her breath, hoping he didn't take offense.

He dismissed it largely. "When I say 'human nature', what's the first thing that pops into your head, Tifa?"

"Pessimism and optimism?"

He narrowed his eyes slightly. "Please don't tell me you're asking me that. There's no right answer, you know." His expression softened. "Now, I have another question for you. Why'd you say pessimism first?"

"It was the first thing to pop into my mind. Then I recalled its opposite."

He gave a small nod. "Humans, by nature, are largely pessimists. I can safely say that through months of observation."

She looked offended. "I'm not a pessimist!"

He remained silent. "You are," he finally said.

"Excuse me?" Her eyes rose to meet his, and he felt a glare that was almost as strong as his own favored glare.

"When faced with setting a book aside or finishing it due to lack of understanding, you choose to set it aside. As most people would do. The usual thought process is 'this will never make sense, why bother trying to make sense of it?' A pessimist's view."

She opened her mouth to say something, and quickly shut it, realizing how much truth was behind this.

"Similarly, an optimist would continue reading, thinking 'so I don't get it right now. Once I finish it, it should all come together nicely.'" He looked down at the book again, closing it with a soft clap. He set it down next to him and crossed his arms, eyes still on Tifa's. "I've asked many people in the past that very same question, and one, only one of hundreds of people, said she'd keep reading in hopes of making sense of it."

Tifa knew it was a rather uncomfortable topic for him, but she wanted to know for sure she was on the same page as him. "Was that one person... Lucrecia?"

He nodded, forcing all the memories down. "Everyone else said they'd set it aside and find something else to read, something they could understand easier."

"Wow..." She felt her mouth open slightly in amazement.

He looked at her curiously. "I didn't find it so surprising. It was actually rather easy to believe for me."

"No, it's not that. It's just... I've never seen this side of you before..."

He realized that maybe he had opened up a bit too much. "Don't get used to it."

"There are a lot of things I shouldn't get used to with you, huh? Well, it's no big deal. So, I have a question for you now, Vincent Valentine."

He quirked an eyebrow at her. He certainly wasn't expecting her to use his first and last name.

"Are you a pessimist trying to act an optimist? Or are you an optimist being dragged down by so many pessimists?"

He pondered her question. "...I don't understand where you're getting this from."

She smiled, turning to leave once more. "Well, you said it was easy to believe that most people had pessimistic natures. Isn't that pessimistic in itself? If you were truly an optimist, you should've been seeking out other optimists, believing that 'the next one would read it all the way through'. And yet, if you're a pessimist, it's only natural, but it doesn't explain why you'd read a book all the way through."

He let a genuine smile through. "Amazing."

"What is? My reasoning on the two?" Tifa almost felt like she was gloating with the last statement.

He gave a small nod. "It's just like hers was. We had this very same conversation."

Tifa was shocked. Was Vincent Valentine comparing her to his long lost _Lucrecia_? And further... had she brought that genuine smile to his face herself? "Oh. I... I didn't know." She felt warmth in her cheeks, and slowly realized she was starting to blush.

He noticed this too, and cleared his throat. "Anyway, I wouldn't recommend this to you. I'm almost done with it, and I still can't make sense of it yet." He picked it up and opened to the page he left off at, resuming reading. It was difficult, if not impossible, for Tifa to see this under his mess of hair, but his face was also slightly red.

She considered the conversation over, and sighed. "Well, I need to open up now." She realized how this may sound, and quickly added "The bar, I mean. It's almost opening time. Let me know if you want or need anything."

"I'll do that." He largely ignored the connotation, once again engrossed in the book.

_**...She's a bright one.**_

_I didn't ask you._

_**...**_ The Galian remained quiet, rather glad that Vincent couldn't see its own thoughts the same way it could see his.

* * *

_Well, that's that chapter. Busy working on the next one, and I must say even I'm amazed at the direction it's taking. I realize that this doesn't quite fit the whole 'adventure' label I've put on this, but bear with me; it's coming. I visualize the emergence of that by... Chapter 5 or so. These things take time for me, especially with the way the story's going so far._

_About his whole 'optimism/pessimism' conversation with Tifa... Some people might not see him talking about this kind of thing, but I always could see it. So I thought I'd go with it and see how it turned out. I'm pleased with it, myself._

_For those of you who might be thinking about it, yes, that's more or less the way I feel. You can determine a person's nature by asking that question, as far as optimism or pessimism goes. Not that I can back that with proof; I myself have never asked anyone that question. But it's my mindset._

_Then again, let's keep my personality to myself.__ -Spiritslayer_


	4. Crowds

_Well, I just might have to allow more time before I update; I'm working on Chapter 6, and I've been writing that one since yesterday afternoon. I'm slowing down, I guess._

_Thanks to those who have reviewed this story. It encourages me to publish more of this story when I know there are people who like it. -Spiritslayer_

* * *

Had someone come up to Vincent and Tifa and asked, they would have denied being close friends, but rather friends that understood each other rather well. Their conversations had gone from exchanging pleasantries and feeble attempts at forced conversation, to pleasantries and smooth conversations. Had the conversations not taken that turn, he would have considered his welcome overdue by a week. Yet they had, and he was still there, his wound fully healed, one week after that first conversation. Part of him nagged, wondering why he was still imposing upon Tifa and Cloud, when he came by.

He brought this up to Tifa, who simply laughed it off. "Oh, come on, Vince! You're more than welcome here! It's not a big deal, really!"

He wasn't sure he believed it entirely, but was fairly content either way. He had felt as though he had a place to stay, a place to come back to.

He was almost sure he had found a place he could call his home.

He helped Tifa open up in silence, as he had done for the last couple days. "If I'm going to stay here, I may as well help out when I can," he had offered the first day he did it. She had told him it wasn't neccessary, but eventually caved in five minutes later, owing largely to the fact that the bar hadn't opened yet and there were customers waiting impatiently outside.

"Well, that should do it," she said brightly, moving toward the door. "Thanks, Vince."

"Mm." He started for his room, where he could continue reading his new book, Demons Past finished.

"Hey, wait! Why don't you stay out here tonight? It's not like these guys haven't seen you before, you know." She paused, moments away from officially opening 7th Heaven for the night.

"I'd only get in the way." He was already out of sight before she could protest.

As he sat down on his bed again and picked up the book, he subconsciously wondered if something had happened to the Galian who usually delighted in tormenting him. _You're unusually silent lately. You die? Well, it's none of my concern; I welcome the silence._

_**You're a fool, Valentine. If I die, you die too. I'm your heart, remember?**_

He grimaced at the thought, but was fine leaving the beast alone; no point getting it riled up and risking a transformation now. He turned to his last spot in the book and began reading, crossing his legs as he did. He heard a metallic clicking noise, and glanced up. _My legs. Of course,_ he thought, eyes examining the gold plated forelegs before moving back to the book.

_**A reminder of your failures.**_

Vincent ignored the demon. If he responded, it'd take that opportunity and run with it. He would have usually told the demon to shut up, but he decided the book was more interesting.

He heard his door creak open and knew instinctively who it was, as it had first happened a week ago. It didn't stop him from responding with "I wish you'd knock."

"You know I never will." Tifa stepped inside, shutting the door behind her. She wore a frown on her face.

He glanced up at her and observed the frown, then went back to the book. "Something wrong?" he asked.

"What makes you think you'd be in the way out there? You can read as easily out there as you can in here."

"It's quieter in here. Easier to concentrate on my book." He lifted it up, moving his claw so she could read the title.

"'Solemn Dream'? Sounds depressing."

He returned to his original grip on it. "I just started it. I have no idea."

"And what of your last book? Demons Past?"

"Finished it." He turned a page in the book.

"And...?"

He sighed. "And what?"

"Last week, you said you didn't understand it."

He nodded. "Now I do."

"What's it about, then?"

He slowly clasped the book shut, right hand saving his spot. "Tifa."

"Hm?"

"Who's taking care of the bar while you're in here talking to me?"

She looked at him darkly. "They're all honest guys, Vince. I know they won't do anything stupid while I'm in here."

A loud crashing noise from the other side of the door seemed to spite her.

"Hm." He resisted the urge to smirk at her, knowing how offended she'd likely become if he did. "That's not stupid?"

"Ugh..." She gave him a final glare before opening the door and walking outside his room.

He looked up, and resisted the newfound urge to curse; she hadn't shut his door behind her. He stood slowly and walked to the door, claw on it. He was ready to close it when he hesitated. He had never thought himself capable in crowds, but then again, how often did he try? He bit his bottom lip, eyes moving down to the book in his hand. _Guess I could read out there. I might actually manage to drown out the noise this time._ He took a slow, hesitant step outside his room, but found it was too late at that point.

He felt someone grasp his right shoulder and pull him out of the room, his claw yanking the door shut behind him. He looked at the hand on his shoulder and traced it to the arm, which he traced to the figure of Tifa.

"Feeling guilty?" she asked, a hint of triumph in her voice, masked by a small frown.

"Just thought I'd give 'crowds' a try today. See what happens."

She let her apparent joy leak through, a smile quickly replacing her frown. "Now you're talking. Come on." She led the way to the rest of the general public, him reluctantly in tow behind her, book still in hand.

Everyone turned to face her as she walked back in, and their eyes gradually slid to Vincent. Some of them stopped talking, some started murmuring amongst themselves. He sighed, turning around. "This was a bad idea," he muttered.

"Don't be silly. You won't know until you try, right?" She gave him an encouraging smile. "Go on."

He glanced over his shoulder at the crowd in the bar. His eyes shot down to the book, and he resigned himself to it. "Fine." He walked to the corner he had taken weeks ago and sat down, propping his left arm on the table, book opened. His eyes immediately began scanning the words, but he couldn't concentrate; he could sense all eyes on him.

Someone sat down in the chair adjacent him, though he didn't acknowledge it at all.

"This isn't so bad, is it?" a familiar voice asked him, one much unlike Tifa's.

Vincent allowed his eyes to wander to the person sitting with him. His eyes eventually returned to the book. "Cloud."

"Tifa says you stay holed up in your room a lot. It's really none of my business why, but..." Cloud leaned back. "Why is that?"

"As you said, it's none of your business why."

Cloud chuckled. "I deserved that." He scratched the back of his head gently. "So, it's been a while."

"Mm." Vincent was having more trouble focusing on the book.

"What've you been up to? Anything special?"

Vincent gave him a look that seemed to say 'are you that stupid?' "I've been here for about three weeks now. This makes the fourth time you've said those lines to me."

"I guess that's true," Cloud chuckled. "But see, you never give me a straight answer."

"I don't give anyone a straight answer."

"Tifa says otherwise."

He tore his eyes from the book to look at Cloud, then to Tifa. "That so?" he replied, eyes shifting back to Cloud.

"Well, she says you don't give it right away, but you do all the same." Cloud grinned. "I think you've changed over the last few months, you're just not willing to show it."

"I think you're imagining things." Vincent returned to his book again.

"Am I? You being here is proof that you've changed. Months ago, you would've never, in a million years, come out here to sit. You would've given us all a look as though daring us to ask you."

Vincent didn't even bother dignifying that, turning a page absentmindedly; he had given up reading a little while ago, he was just maintaining the facade.

"You know I'm right." Cloud leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. "So, we're all having a get-together next week. You know, see what's gone on in our lives the last six months."

"I'm not going," he replied smoothly.

Cloud grinned. "It's funny," he said, standing slowly.

Vincent remained silent.

"Tifa told me that, three weeks ago, she pitched the same idea to you. You shot her down mid-sentence." Cloud focused his eyes on Vincent. "Whether you believe it or not, Vincent, you're changing. Slowly but surely, you're changing." He walked away with a small wave, saying "I'll see you in a week. Work's got me busy until then."

_He doesn't seriously think I'm going._ He found his mind wandering to Tifa. He was quite shocked to find he couldn't bring blame to her for revealing things that contradicted his personality. _Well, I guess I didn't ask her to keep those things quiet. Can't be helped._ He tried focusing on the book again, and remembered he had turned a page during his facade. He casually turned the page back and resumed reading. Or at least trying to read.

_**Can't be helped? It's that kind of thinking that turned you into what you are now.**_

_What are you babbling about now?_

_**When Lucrecia went to Hojo, you didn't think anything of it, saying only to yourself 'can't be helped'. You really think you can afford the luxury, the illusion of--**_

_Shut up. I've said it before, I'll say it again. I like it when you're quiet._

_**Heh heh heh... You silence me because you don't want to hear the truth. Think, Valentine. Think back to how you felt when you thought 'can't be helped' of Lucrecia. Of her choice. Of Hojo. Were you so easily forgiving then?**_

He didn't respond, but he was distracted entirely from the book again.

_**You don't have to respond. I know how you felt. I've seen it all in your nightmares. Years and years in that coffin allowed me ample opportunity to learn your inner workings better than you can. You never forgive. You despise losing things, whether it be a person, a thought assumed secret, so on and so forth. This illusion you maintain, this facade of forgiveness... How long do you think it will last before it all catches up to you?**_

Again, silence. He had inadvertently turned four pages while the demon had ranted, which told people who were still looking at him that he wasn't really reading. Some took this to be bad, some took it to be good.

But Tifa, who had talked with Vincent for the last three weeks, knew better. She knew he was distracted by something, and the fact that no one was sitting next to him, talking to him... "Is he fighting off his past again...?" she wondered, wishing she didn't have her duties to the bar do deal with, wishing she could go over to him and talk it out with him, help him feel at ease again.

_**You think this is all over for you. You think Hojo's defeated, that there's nothing to worry about anymore. You think that you can just settle down, start a new life. Wrong, Valentine. For you, there is no end to your torment. For you, there's only more torment, more suffering, more pain. You'll see your friends die one by one, and what will you be left with? Despair. Suffering. There has never been a back door for you to use, to escape through. There never will be.**_

_...Are you quite done?_

_**Huh?**_

Vincent closed the book and set it in front of him, bringing his right hand to his temples. As he rubbed, he replied to the Galian's words. _So I can't escape my past. I know that. What makes you think I'm trying to? Before you respond, think about all I've done since Hojo died. What part of that makes you truly believe I'm seeking escape?_

_**...I don't follow. Are you agreeing with me? This is certainly a first!**_

_Hold your tongue. I'm not trying to escape my past, that's a given. Perhaps you've realized it by now. I'm trying to live with it, to live with all that torment, all that suffering, all that pain. I was blind before, thinking I had no friends, only comrades. I was trying to escape my past then. But no longer. I know I have at least one friend._ He opened his eyes and sought out Tifa, watching her for a while. _Maybe more than one._

_**You really think she considers you a friend? How do you know you're not just a crutch for her to lean on while she contends with her own past?**_

_Her own... past...?_

_**Everyone has a past, Valentine. This is a fact. Some are good, most are generally wrought with disasters. I wonder if you've ever considered her past, what she's contending with? The answer there is obviously no. You've never once considered her past, what happened to her. Her past may be nothing to worry about, but you don't know that. You've always considered your own past, put dealing with that first. You've never strayed a thought to others' pasts.**_

_I do believe you are trying to edge me in the right direction._

_**Fool. I'm pointing out your shortcomings, the reasons you will never be able to live with your past. You really think you're living with it? No, this is far from the truth. You've been hiding it from even yourself, refusing to face it. And so it will be. You tried, for years upon years, to come to terms with your past, tried thinking of ways to live your life if and when someone found you in that coffin. And what have you come up with? Nothing. Your past still haunts you, fills you with doubts.**_

Vincent was prepared to drown the demon out, then he heard it say something he'd never forget.

_**I know your one largest weakness, Valentine. And you can't do anything about it. You can't discard this weakness, nor cover it up. It's always there, and I stand ready to strike it when I need to.**_

_...And what is this weakness?_ He immediately regretted asking. He wouldn't get a straight answer from the demon.

_**If I told you that, I'd no longer have the upper hand. Well, I would, it'd just be that much harder to exploit it, to strike you with it. But it works every time, regardless of your resistance. I've attacked your weakness many times now, and you don't realize it.**_

Vincent's breath was suddenly ragged. He thought to all the times he had changed to the Galian, the times he had argued with it. Yet no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't discern his weakness from any of it. He tried stabilizing his breathing, but found it difficult. He knew he wouldn't be able to rest easily until he knew what his weakness was. His eyes were still on Tifa, though this was more subconscious. He managed to look down at the book, and he stood rather quickly. He heard the demon start laughing. He walked toward the door in a rather heavy daze, managing to avoid running into anyone as he went.

The night air struck his face, cooling it down. It wasn't until then that he realized he was sweating. He would have passed it off as the warmth inside the bar, but he knew why he was sweating.

For the first time in a long time, he was terrified.

* * *

_Well, this has certainly taken an interesting turn, hasn't it? Vincent Valentine, with his frightening exterior and wise words, has been terrified._

_I almost feel an obligation to explain this, so here goes. At what point have we ever seen Vincent scared for anything? He's certainly cautious, but I've never actually seen him scared in either game or in the movie._

_It's as the old saying goes: "He who has no fear is a fool. He who knows no fear is a hero." And Vincent is certainly no fool._

_I'll put up Chapter 4 some time Monday, if not tomorrow. I've got it done already, as well as Chapter 5. I think I can manage to take it easy. -Spiritslayer_


	5. A Demon's Torture

_Ah, that day off felt good. I spent the whole day practically asleep, mind, but damn did it feel good._

_It didn't stop me from typing up more of the story, though. I won't say how far I've come, it's pretty much embarrassing. I will say, though, that I could probably manage another day off like yesterday._

_Ah well. You didn't click the story link to hear me ramble on about RL things. So, here's the next chapter of The Galian. -Spiritslayer_

* * *

Vincent knew he had no obligation to remain at the bar, yet he couldn't bring himself to leave, either. He supposed that he had found a home in Edge, and even if he left the bar's spare room, he knew his friends wouldn't be too far away.

And so, as he wandered through Edge, the Galian Beast's words echoing in his head, almost haunting him, he wondered what was in store for him, if he'd be forced to leave his new 'home'. The demon had hinted at striking his weakness, and he, being close to immortal with his modified body, would have to suffer such strikes for what he had deemed all eternity. He paid the cackling from the demon no mind, more intent on trying to uncover his own weakness.

He had always been told that he didn't seem to have a weakness, that his personality seemed to cut any possibilities for one away. And yet, here was this demon who resided in him for years telling him otherwise. He stopped walking and looked skyward slightly, eyes closing. It wasn't just the weakness he was worrying over, either.

What the Galian had told him about his friends' pasts... Why was he letting that bother him as well?

And living with his past...

He couldn't deny what the demon had told him. He knew, deep down, that he had tried burying his own past, to put it behind him and forget it. He had never tried to come to terms with it. But how could he come to terms with a past so wrought with tragedy?

A drop of water fell gently on his cheek, causing him to open his eyes in curiousity. It was starting to sprinkle out, and he had a feeling it would go past that very shortly, that he'd soon be caught in a downpour. He sighed, trying to bring himself to chuckle, to even smirk at the situation, to make it seem like it wasn't as big a deal as he was making it seem. And he couldn't, because he knew well enough this was far from the truth. To have his shortcomings brought to the surface by a demon he had grown to loathe and have to try contending with them...

"Vincent!" he heard someone call from behind him, startling him. He knew he was in a state of disarray now; normally, he wouldn't have even been surprised to hear someone call his name. He turned his head slowly to face the speaker.

Tifa was standing just in the doorway, concerned eyes on him. "Vince..." she said, walking toward him slowly, braving what had become a steady rain. "You'll get sick out here. Come on, let's go back inside."

He didn't reply in any manner, which only increased her worries. He simply walked toward her, still dazed by the weight of the words spoken to him by the Galian. He stumbled slightly and fought to regain his balance. Tifa reached out to stabilize him, still concerned.

"Vince... Is something wrong?" she finally asked. "You're... well, you're definitely not yourself right now."

He wasn't sure what to say, really. Was he supposed to say he was fine, to lie to his friend? Was he supposed to practically pour his mind out to her, to go where he had never gone before? Never mind how he should respond, he wasn't sure what to do.

"Vince? Say something. Anything," she said, stopping him outside the door. "Say you hate me, say you don't want to say anything..."

"...I don't hate you," he finally said, eyes locking with hers.

She breathed a small sigh of relief. "Thank you," she replied. "...On both counts."

He gave a small nod, not sure she saw it.

"What's on your mind, Vince? You know you can tell me."

_I know, but do you want to hear it?_ He closed his eyes, sighing softly.

"...Vince, you're scaring me. Please..." she pleaded.

He waited for what felt like an eternity, then parted his lips, drawing a breath. "...Tifa."

"Hm?"

"...I am your friend, aren't I?" He felt a need to alleviate what the Galian had said, to disperse one of many fears amidst his heart and mind.

She looked at him, an exceedingly confused look on her face. "Vince... what would make you think otherwise? Of course you're my friend."

"...Of course..." He sighed. "I shouldn't have doubted..."

"Vince, what's wrong?"

"..." He was still unsure of what to say, let alone do. Should he tell her, open up to her? Should he leave it be?

"Vince..." She rested a hand on his shoulder. "Please..."

"...I'm sorry. I need to... sort things out first..." He started to walk inside, but was halted by the hand on his shoulder.

"Vince..." He heard her voice tremble slightly. "I don't... like seeing you like this..."

"...Tifa, I..." He paused. "I can't yet. It's..."

She sighed softly. "...I understand. Come find me when... you want to talk about it..." Her hand dropped from his shoulder, but after a moment's reluctance.

"...Thank you, Tifa." He slowly walked inside the bar, past the crowd of people, to his room.

_**Heh heh heh...**_ The Galian Beast was enjoying every minute of his torment. _**Quite the mess you've become in just a matter of minutes.**_

He ignored the demon, sitting on the edge of his bed. It wasn't until a drop of water fell to his nose that he remembered he had been standing in the rain moments earlier. _I can't just... I can't just talk to her about it. Not yet._

_**If not now, when? You'll never talk to her, as is always your nature. You'll try to deal with it all alone.**_

_No. I'll seek her counsel when the time's right. I'll seek her counsel..._ He shook his head, rainwater dripping to the floor as he did.

_**Hah. So you say.**_

_I will..._ He seemed to falter. _What's happening to me...?_

The demon simply laughed inside Vincent's mind.

He looked around the room. He wanted to talk it over with her, to get it out in the open. And at the same time, he felt it was too personal. His past was a touchy subject, and he was sure hers was too. He wanted to know her past better, to know he was truly a friend to her, not a crutch like the demon had suggested. He wanted to know her better...

_Is it... possible...?_ he wondered to himself, looking at the open door. He sighed, shaking his head. _No, it's not possible. _He glanced up at the desk near the door, the one Tifa had left a roll of bandages on a week ago. He stood slowly and rested his claw on the book sitting atop the desk. _I know I said I wouldn't recommend this to her, but..._ He picked it up carefully. He looked up at the ceiling. _I can't stay here. I don't want to drag her down, have her worry about me needlessly._ He stepped out the door again, closing it behind him and starting down the stairs.

His newest concern was in trying to decide how to tell her he was leaving. He slowly arrived at a conclusion as he reached the bottom of the stairs and paused at the counter. "Tifa," he began.

She looked over at him, a sad smile on her face. "Hey."

He held up the book in his claw. "I know I said I wouldn't recommend it to you, but..." He held it out to her. "Who knows. You may make sense of it after all."

"Oh, um..." She took it slowly, nodding head softly. "Thanks."

He nodded. "Well..." He hesitated, steeling his nerves. "Thank you for everything, Tifa. I've... overstayed my welcome."

Her face suggested her heart had hit rock bottom, but she quickly masked this with a forced smile. "Oh. Sure, no problem." She fought her hardest not to show her apparent sadness, but a slightly trembling lower lip still managed to slip through.

He nodded to her gently. "See you," he said with an air of finality, eyes locking with hers before he turned away. Her eyes... He had always enjoyed looking into those soft brown eyes, for one reason or another. He had seen the many emotions her eyes were capable of displaying due to this fact. And he certainly wasn't expecting to detect the hint of sadness that appeared in her eyes only when she was brokenhearted. He wasn't sure what to make of it, but decided to go before he asked. He finally turned away and starting walking toward the door.

He would never notice the tears that had welled up in her eyes as he walked away, nor would he see her fight to hold them back. As crushing as this seemed to her, she didn't need her patrons to see her like that. She had a bar to run. He wouldn't see her look down at the book Demons Past and give a small, saddened smile at it, her hands setting it down behind the counter, out of sight.

He would never realize how his departure that day would impact Tifa.

_**And so, you set off alone. As I predicted. You're too easy, Valentine.**_

He wasn't in the mood to argue with the demon.

_**So... you had a place to stay before. What now? You going to run away from your past again? As you always have?**_

The truth was, he wasn't sure what he was going to do now, where he was going to go. He certainly wanted to face his past, to come to terms with it, but he couldn't just come out and tell his friend like that. Not when she may have her own burdens to bear... He knew, deep down, that it would be too much for her to take all at once, that loading her down with his own past would only break her. Unless she was willing to share her past with him as well, he couldn't do that to her...

_**Heh heh heh... Admit it, Valentine. You'll never succeed in your endeavor. You'll never come to terms with your own past, you'll never try understanding someone else's past, which in turn means you'll never have a true friend. As you'd put it, that woman was a friend of neccessity to you. She fit your immediate needs well, and now you have no more use for her.**_

_...No. It can't be. Did I... did I really do that to her? Make her a friend of neccessity?_ Vincent was walking aimlessly, coming close to the outskirts of Edge. He still wasn't sure where he was headed, but he decided he'd go wherever his feet took him. It allowed him time to think about what had happened so far. _I had thought of her as a true friend. But..._ He wondered for a fleeting second if the demon was simply trying to get to him, and his thoughts flitted back to what his weakness may be. Was the Galian striking that weakness now? If so, it was nothing physical. But what if the demon wasn't striking it, if it was just baring the truth to Vincent, knowing he couldn't do anything about it, couldn't prove it otherwise? He shook his head vigorously, trying to clear his mind.

_**You believe you're strong, that you can make it through anything. You believe that since you're close to immortal, you don't have to worry about your own well-being. You shut people out so that losing them doesn't destroy your spirit. Even in the last three weeks, you were living an isolated life, as you have since you rose from the coffin.**_

Didn't bother trying to reason with it. He slowly came to realize that what the demon said to him was absolutely true. When Tifa had popped into his room to talk, he tended to give her short answers, unless something needed to be explained out to her. He had never really inquired things of her, nor had the thought crossed his mind. Even when she was there, ready to talk to him, he was closed off to her.

_'I think you've changed over the last few months, you're just not willing to show it.'_ He pondered the words Cloud had said to him what felt like an eternity ago, even though it was considerably less than an hour. _Have I really changed? Or am I just as I was when I first met everyone else?_

He wandered, lost entirely in his thoughts, to Kalm. And when he arrived at Kalm, he noted that it was still raining out. He had been so wrapped up in his thoughts that he had barely noticed until now that he had walked for so long in the rain. And for all his ignorance of things around him, he still hadn't come to any answers. The Galian had also pointed out many things on the way that Vincent wanted to find the answers to as well, adding to his already growing list. He moved slowly toward the inn, hoping a night's rest would help him greatly. As he took a room for the night, he wondered if a rested mind would really sort out the things he couldn't sort out over the years.

Then again, he had never really thought about these things in the past. As he drifted to his room and sat on the bed, his wet cloak soaking the bedspread with rainwater, he wondered if he had done the right thing yet again. _Should I have left Edge? Should I have left Tifa? Will she really stop worrying about my well-being even if I'm not there? No, she's not like that. She'll likely worry endlessly._ He closed his eyes and was rather surprised to find gravity pull his upper body down to the bed. He tried opening his eyes, but could barely see out the slits his eyelids allowed him. He realized just how tired he was and gave in, drifting off to sleep.

* * *

_Well, there's that. I'll put up Chapter 5 sometime later tomorrow, if not later._

_Oh yeah, I realized that there's really no way my storyline could border 'adventure', so I changed it to a 'Friendship' description. Hope no one clubs me for that; I didn't want to do it. But the way it's going now..._

_Well, I rant. See you all later. -Spiritslayer_


	6. Gone

_Well, I realize this is late in terms of my usual update time, but it's still today. Bear with me, I've been busy. -Spiritslayer_

* * *

He spent roughly a month in Kalm, trying to sort through the many thoughts, concerns and worries flying through his mind. Yet it seemed to him that the harder he tried, the closer he got to finding the answer to one, more would arise, and he would feel as though he hadn't gotten anywhere. He despised the fact that the major questions lingered in his mind.

How could he come to terms with his past, to accept and live with it? Would he ever be able to hear someone else's past and live with that knowledge, considering his own past? Would his supposed 'facade' of forgiveness fade, or was his forgiveness genuine? What was his big weakness, the very one the Galian threatened to exploit?

But none of those major questions concerned him more than the one he felt would be easiest to solve, yet proved difficult.

Did Tifa ever see him as a true friend, or was he simply a crutch for her, something to support her while she tried contending with her own past?

_It's amazing, the small concerns that jumped from these five. Most of those, I've found the answer to, but more and more emerge. It seems almost impossible to answer all of them, even in my lifetime._

A sudden knocking on his room's door brought his attention to reality. "Mr. Valentine?" he heard through the door.

"Enter," he said, eyes to the door as it opened. The receptionist was in his doorway, looking at him nervously. Even despite his inner turmoil, his outward appearance still intimidated people. He smirked slightly at the situation.

"You have a guest downstairs."

"Name?"

The receptionist shook her head. "They didn't say."

He shook his head. "It didn't occur to you to ask?"

Her eyes fell, self-esteem falling.

He sighed softly. "Sorry. I was out of line just now." He stood from the bed. "Tell them I'll be down in a few minutes."

She bowed her head to him, stepping outside and closing the door behind her, leaving him to wonder who it was.

_I hadn't told anyone I was coming here. I hadn't even known I was coming here until I left Edge. So who could it be?_ His mind went to Tifa. _Did she learn somehow I'm here?_ He bitterly recalled the way he had left Edge. _No doubt she was sad that day; her eyes never lie. Is she still sad? Does she want to talk to me about something?_ He walked to the door and opened it, stepping outside, wondering why Tifa would've come to see him.

All questions were set aside as he reached the lobby and saw the last person he had expected to see at that moment. He was very tempted to turn back and act as though he had never come down, but his visitor wasn't so easily deceived. He sighed as he heard "Vinny! There you are!" He heard someone run toward him, much to the dismay of the receptionist, and he felt his left arm tugged behind him. "Come with me, you!"

"...And if I don't wish to?" he asked, facing the hand that was clasped around his left wrist.

"You don't have a choice, buster! Come with me!"

He wrenched his wrist from the grasp, turning to face Yuffie Kisaragi, who was glaring at him. He returned it to remind her who held a stronger glare, and its effects took hold instantly. He sensed her bravado vanish entirely as she shrank away.

"Come on, Vinny. Why you gotta glare at me...?" she said, her voice devoid of the authority it had held mere seconds ago.

"I could ask the same of you." He crossed his arms across his chest. "Can I help you with something?"

"Uh... um..." He wondered if his glare had been too much; she seemed to have forgotten why she was there.

"Forget it," he said, turning to walk back to his room.

"H-hey! Wait just a sec! I remembered!" She seized the back of his cloak to keep him from going too far. "Not so fast!"

He grasped the edge of his cloak with his right hand and, without warning, yanked the cloth from the ninja's hands. She gave a startled shout.

"Vinny! What the hell?!" she retorted, huffing loudly. "Sheesh... Yeah right. I don't really think you've changed much after all," she muttered.

He paused for a moment. "Of course not," he responded, still lingering. Had she been talking to...?

"When Cloud had said you were different from before, I didn't believe him. Thought he was trying to pull my leg. Figured I had to see it for myself. That spiky-headed punk. I'm gonna clobber him for lying to me." She grabbed at his cloak again. "You're still not going anywhere."

He made no attempts to wrench it from her grasp. "When'd you see Cloud?" he asked.

"Huh? You mean you forgot?! Cloud mentioned to me that he had told you about the gathering three weeks ago! We never really thought you'd come, but still!"

"...Oh, right. That."

"You're acting like it's no big deal, too! I really should clobber you!"

"So why don't you?" he dared, smirking as he turned to face her.

"'Cause I know you'd knock me around before I could even hope to land a hit." She hated to admit it, and as he locked eyes with hers, he could read this particular sentiment in her eyes. They weren't the same shade of brown as Tifa's were, but the two had similar expressions about them. What she said next dropped his smirk. "'Course, we had figured you wouldn't show. Never one for crowds and all. But Tifa..." She shook her head. "Well, she didn't show to it either."

"Tifa? Did something happen to her?" he asked, suddenly concerned.

It apparently showed in his eyes, for Yuffie's own eyes widened. A playful grin creeped to her face. "Aw, you're worried about her! I guess Cloud was right after all!"

"Shut up. Now, back to the matter at hand. Is Tifa...?"

She shrugged, her grin falling quickly as she thought about it. "No one knows where she went off to. According to the regulars at 7th Heaven, she left about six days before our get-together. Said she had things to do."

"Things to do?"

Yuffie gave him an irritated look. "If I knew, I wouldn't be here talking to you about it!" She calmed down, her expression softening. "Sorry 'bout that. I just... lost it."

He simply nodded.

"But anyway, she's been gone for almost a month now. No one's seen her since she left Edge. Kinda like you, actually."

He smirked. "Cloud told you about that too?"

"Cloud told me about that too. Said that he returned, and you were gone as well. At first, he thought the two of you went off together somewhere, and wasn't worried about it. Figured you were there to watch out for her if she needed it."

"I haven't seen Tifa since I left Edge. I can't help."

She shook her head. "Nah, I wasn't coming to ask you for info on where she was."

"Oh?"

"Come with me. You'll want to see the guy who came here with me." She reached out to grab his wrist again, but thought better of it. His renewed glare was one of the reasons she decided against it. "Vinny, can you please stop glaring at me like that?"

"What's more important to you right now? Finding Tifa or introducing me to your companion?"

She looked at him in disbelief. "Look, this guy claims to have been the last to see Tifa. I'd hope the two are connected in this case!"

"...Sorry." He took a step forward, eyes on Yuffie. He narrowed his eyes as he studied her dazed expression. "Something wrong?"

"Y-you just... For the first time ever..." She struggled with words and a smile. "For the first time ever, you apologized!"

He snorted, shaking his head. "Don't get used to it." With those five words, he was reminded of the two times he had said it to Tifa. He motioned towards the door. "Lead."

She nodded, practically skipping to the door, as though him apologizing made her day bright. If that was indeed the case, he regretted it.

She led him outside to a young brown-haired man who seemed to shrink back at the sight of Vincent. Yuffie giggled at his reaction, turning to the left and standing between the two. Vincent stopped yards away from the man, his crimson eyes searching the man's green ones for any hint of dislike. If it was there, there was no point talking to him.

"Ah, Vinny won't bite. Now, insult, I can't guarantee." Yuffie was still giggling.

The two men regarded one another carefully. Vincent slowly stepped forward, extending his right hand to the man. "Vincent Valentine," he said. It was obvious Yuffie wouldn't get around to introductions for a little while.

The man looked startled, but eventually plastered a smile on his face, clasping Vincent's hand in his own right one. "Hojo Nagatami."

Vincent bristled at hearing the name 'Hojo', and gave a curt nod, dropping his hand. "Like the scientist."

Hojo nodded grimly. "And much to my displeasure. I've tried thinking of a new first name to replace it, but I'm not too creative with it, I'm afraid."

Yuffie regained control of herself. "Introductions aside..." She was still smiling as she crossed her arms. "As you know, this is Vincent, better known as Vinny."

"By you," Vincent added.

She ignored this little comment. "Vinny was the last of our friends to see Tifa. He also seems to be the most concerned about her disappearance."

"Wouldn't bet on the 'most' part."

Yuffie frowned. "Cloud's definitely worried, but he continues about his business. We're all worried too, but have no ideas where to start looking for her." She looked up at Vincent. "We kinda thought you might know where she went off to."

"Well, sorry to disappoint. If I'm not mistaken, though, Hojo here was the last one to see her." He turned his attention to him. "Where was this?"

"Bear in mind, he thinks he saw her. It might not've been her at all."

"Better to run with a thought than nothing at all."

Hojo gave a small nod. "I last saw her here in Kalm, actually. Least, if it was her."

Vincent's heart seemed to skip a beat, pulsing the demon it harbored awake. "That so?" he asked calmly.

He nodded. "I recalled meeting Mrs. Lockheart once before, so I waved to her. I don't know if she noticed, though, because she kept on going."

"That's 'Miss Lockheart'."

"Huh?"

"She's not married," Vincent said.

"Oh. Well, I tried seeing where she was going, to see if I could sit down and talk with her, but I lost her in the midday crowd. That's the last time I saw her."

"Whereabouts was this?"

Hojo pointed over toward the shopping district. "Around there."

"And when was this?"

"I think... three weeks ago?"

Yuffie looked at Hojo like he had done something horrifyingly wrong, and chanced a glance at Vincent.

"I see." He closed his eyes. "Well, I doubt we'll find her easily now. Three weeks ago, she was spotted here in Kalm. Gaia knows where she could've gone off to from here."

"Maybe she lives here now?" Yuffie offered.

Hojo shook his head. "I asked if Tifa lived here in Kalm, and everyone I saw told me to look for her in Edge. 'Course, I knew she lived there; that's where I first met her. But I thought maybe she moved away over time."

Yuffie and Hojo started sharing ideas on where she could've gone off to, leaving Vincent in his newest batch of concerns.

_She's missing? Was she kidnapped? No, she's stronger than that. Anyone fool enough to try and kidnap her would suffer her fists. Did she leave of her own accord, then? No, she has the bar to manage. She knows better than to leave it unattended for so long, especially a month. Was she somehow coerced into leaving? Again, she's strong, but what if someone threatened her with someone dear to her? She's quick to defend her friends, so I wouldn't exactly put it past her to give in to coercion._ Thought after thought flew through his mind, wondering where she had gotten off to.

_**You seem rather distraught by the disappearance of a friend of neccessity.**_

He jumped at hearing this; he hadn't exactly heard from the demon in a fair while, but pulled himself together. He was grateful that Yuffie and Hojo were so deeply in conversation; neither one had noticed his reaction. _You're awake._

_**I'm always awake. It's just no fun tormenting someone who can't even begin building himself back up.**_

_I'll hold you to it. In any case, she's not a friend of neccessity. If she was, I wouldn't be worried in the first place._

_**So you say. Suppose you've found a need for her again? That'd be reason enough to start worrying about her.**_

He ignored the demon, recognizing its efforts to discomfort him again. "If I may interrupt," he began, startling both of them. "Am I needed here any longer?"

Yuffie frowned at him. "What, our company's not good enough for ya?"

"With all due respect, I'm more worried about Tifa than good company." He turned away from them, tossing an absentminded wave over his shoulder. "I'll see you two around."

"Hey, wait! Where you headed off to?" Yuffie called.

Vincent stopped. "Edge," he said, turning his head to face the ninja briefly.

"Edge? Why Edge?"

"..." He continued walking away from them. _You'd know if I found a need for Tifa again if she were really a friend of neccessity. As you've said, you're always awake, always watching my thoughts._

_**...**_ The demon wasn't able to find anything to counter with, allowing Vincent to walk in peace.

"Vinny!" he heard Yuffie call.

"It's Vincent," he sighed, stopping again and facing her. "Hojo's not with you?"

She shook her head. "He lives in Kalm. Doesn't want to leave home just yet."

"Hm." He turned and started walking again.

"Hey, hold on! I'll go with you!"

"You'll get in the way. No."

She tried stopping him, but shrank back at his glare. "Aw, come on! I won't get in the way, I promise!"

He had a feeling he wasn't going to shake her no matter how hard he tried. "...Fine."

"Awesome! So, how've things been for you? It feels like ages since we last saw one another!"

If there was ever a time he was willing to abandon Yuffie somewhere, that time was somewhere in the wastes between Kalm and Edge. He had been subjected to her rapid-fire questions, comments and complaints. He hadn't said anything to her, but the Galian had offered this single sentiment along the way.

_**Does the child never shut up? I'm honestly amazed you haven't done her in yet.**_

_To be frank, so am I. Looks like we agree for once._ He looked around Edge as they arrived. Yuffie was still jabbering away about something.

"...Yuffie."

"Yeah? What's up?" she asked brightly.

"...Do you ever shut up? Ever?" he finally asked, right hand shooting to his temples. "I swear, I made a huge mistake bringing you along."

She froze in her tracks, mouth hanging open. "I... I..." She was trying desperately to find words to express her feelings right now.

He left her standing where she was, deciding that 7th Heaven would be a good place to begin his search for Tifa. "Where'd you go, Tifa...?" he murmured as he walked inside.

* * *

_Thanks to those who've given me reviews. I realize that there are likely other people reading it, but not reviewing. I urge reviews, but won't force them; long as people like the story, it's all good._

_Have the next chapter ready, but that'll be up tomorrow, I hope. -Spiritslayer_


	7. Realization

_Well, I'm a little more with it today. My 'advance writing', as I've come to call it, has gotten comfortably ahead, so I'm starting another fanfic. The new one's an AU, with some really familiar faces and some not-so-familiar faces thrown in. But that's, quite literally, another story._

_Here's Chapter 6. Hope you enjoy! -Spiritslayer_

* * *

The door was unlocked, though there was no one inside. He decided that Tifa had left it unlocked before she left, and wondered if any of the regular patrons were honest enough to leave the drinks alone. A quick glance to the bar told him otherwise, and he shook his head, disbelieving. "Taking advantage of her absence... What the hell are they thinking...?" he muttered. He walked toward the back of the bar, toward the spare room he had stayed in for a while. He paused outside the door to the room, and opened it slowly.

He supposed he was extremely surprised to see that it had been left the way he left it almost a month ago, only with roughly a month's worth of dust on everything. As his eyes scanned the room slowly, he wondered why she hadn't bothered with it. _Is it... possible she was expecting me to come back? But I told her I was leaving._ His eyes came to rest on a small piece of paper on the desk next to the door. He slowly picked it up with his right hand and glanced at it. _A note. For who?_ He decided to start reading it.

_"Vince,_

_There's some leftover stew from tonight's dinner. Help yourself when you get back. See you tomorrow._

_-Tifa"_

He set it down slowly, a small smile on his face. _She really thought I was coming back that night..._ he thought bitterly. _Did I... let her down...?_

_**Hah.**_

_What's so funny now?_

"Vinny!" he heard Yuffie shout. "You in here?"

_**If you stay quiet, she might go away.**_

_She's a ninja. She'd find me sooner or later, I guarantee it._ "...Up here, Yuffie." He heard her start running up the stairs and looked at the note again. She squeezed past him and walked into the room.

"Wow, it's dusty. Who'd want to stay in this dump, anyway?"

Vincent glared at her. "This was my room while I was staying here."

"Oh." It slowly hit her. "Oh! I'm soooooooo sorry!"

"..." He decided there was no harm taking the note with him; it was intended for him anyway.

"Hey, whatcha got there? A love note from Tifa?" Yuffie teased. She plucked it from the desk before he could take it again and began reading it. "Heh, I wonder if she realized you weren't coming back that night."

He snatched it out of her hand and folded it neatly, pocketing it. "...I think she did."

"Then why'd she leave the note?" Yuffie challenged.

He closed his eyes. "She probably didn't want to believe it. She probably thought I was gone for the night and was coming back later." He felt a large pang of regret. "...Why'd I leave a month ago...?" he murmured.

"Vinny?" she asked him. "Are you...?"

_If I hadn't left, would she still be here?_ he wondered to himself. "I'm fine."

"Hm..." She scrutinized him. "I don't believe you. What's on your mind right now?"

"...Guess there's no harm in it," he sighed. "I was just wondering to myself if she'd still be here... if I hadn't left a month ago."

"What makes you think that? She'd probably have gone anyway," Yuffie said indifferently. "Don't think a gloomy gus like you would make that much of a difference, personally."

"...Sure." He walked out of the room toward the stairway, then paused. He had been in Tifa's own room once or twice in the past, and he wondered if there was anything there, too. He turned and walked toward her room, stepping inside and taking it in.

Much like his old room, Tifa's room was layered in dust. It was certainly tidier by all rights, but the dust made the overall tidiness a moot point. The most notable feature had to be the book sitting on her bed. He walked over to it and examined the cover. _Demons Past..._ He gently picked it up and gave it a quick dusting, looking at it. He noticed a piece of paper acting as a bookmark. Apparently, she hadn't gotten very far into it. He opened to it and saw the paper was another note.

_"Vince,_

_You're right. I'm a pessimist. I can't make heads or tails of this, and I've pretty much given up._

_...Vince, why'd you leave for good? It's too quiet without you around. I wish I could go back in time, to stop you from leaving Edge. But..."_

As he read, he noticed there were spots where her words were slightly blurred. Upon closer examination, he realized those were spots where tears had fallen. _She was... crying...?_

_"I need a break from everything, so if you come back... Heh, who'm I kidding? I... thought I had finally gotten through to the real you, to the Vincent before Hojo... To the Vincent Lucrecia knew. But I guess I was wrong. You can never go back to the way you used to be."_

"Vinny? What's up? You..." Yuffie paused. "Wait, why're you in Tifa's room?!"

"Yuffie!" he snapped. He heard her gulp nervously and tried calming down. "...Look, go downstairs. I'll be right there."

"O-okay..." He heard her walking down the stairs, and resumed reading the note -- no, the letter -- when he heard the third stair from the bottom creak. He knew then that Yuffie was downstairs.

_"I was stupid to think I could get to know you better, I guess. But it's fine. I'll make it through this._

_...I'll miss you, Vince, and hope I see you one last time. Whether that's soon or years away, I don't know._

_Love always, Tifa"_

He replaced her letter in the book and closed it, grasping it firmly with his claw. _Tifa..._

_**She's given up on you, as you know she would. And there's nothing you can do to reverse her decision. So now who--**_

_Shut up._

_**What?**_

_I said shut up! You want to know something? Between you and me, I have a better chance of being accepted by anyone! Tifa's living, breathing proof of that!_

_**Don't be a fool. We both know--**_

_No, you shut up. Right now. It's my turn to tear into you, Galian. With this note, I've arrived at conclusions for multiple questions._

_**...Do humor me.**_

_Read my mind, you bastard. You seem to do that more often anyway._ He stepped out of her room and progressed down the stairs, taking the book -- and letter -- with him.

"Finally! You said you'd be down ages ago!" Yuffie whined impatiently, tapping her foot.

"I said that minutes ago." He walked past her, unaware he was moving at a quickened pace.

"Hey, Vinny! You okay? You're moving really fast!"

"I'm fine. I think I have an idea where to find her."

"Oh? She left clues for you?"

He shook his head. "No, she didn't. But the way she just up and left... doesn't it remind you of someone?"

"Uh..." Yuffie concentrated as she jogged to catch up to him, slowing to a walk and matching pace with him. "Hang on, it's coming to me..."

Vincent reviewed the letter in his mind.

"Wait, it's almost like you six months ago!" Yuffie exclaimed.

He nodded. "First place I went was where I was found."

Yuffie would've stopped dead in her tracks if she wasn't afraid of losing Vincent. "You mean..."

"Shinra Manor."

"Is that where she is now, you think?"

"Don't be absurd. The very town of Nibelheim holds powerful memories for her. No, to take a break from things, she'd go somewhere relaxing. Somewhere with powerful memories, but only good ones."

"Uh... wait. Where you think she's at right now?"

"Where this all began for her. If my guess is correct, she's possibly at Midgar, outside the remnants of Sector 7's slums. She once told me that she had a bar in Sector 7 too, before it was destroyed. If she's not there, which is more than likely, then she must've been there at some point." He had already led the two of them out of Edge, both on a straight path for Midgar.

Yuffie looked at Vincent in awe and, though she'd never admit it, fear. This new Vincent wasn't holding words back. He wasn't talking in his usual calm tone of voice, but rather like he had a new purpose. "Vinny..."

"What?" he replied rather shortly. "Sorry," he added.

She smiled. "You really have changed, you know that?"

He smirked. "Mm. I've noticed that slowly too."

"Is it cool if I keep calling you Vinny from now on?"

"What's it matter? You know you will regardless of my answer."

She giggled. "True enough."

For once, he didn't mind talking to Yuffie. It certainly helped pass the time as they walked to Midgar, and he was fairly confident the Galian would've just tried tormenting him again if he ignored her.

"You know," she said as they reached the gate to Sector 7, "you're fun to talk to!"

He nodded, eyes searching the area. _I seriously doubt she's here right now, but I never know. If she's not here, please let there be some manner of clue as to where she went next._

"I don't see anyone, Vinny." Yuffie was shading her eyes from the sun, looking intently through squinted eyes. "It's deserted."

"..." He pondered everything. _She's not here, as I thought. Where'd she go next, then?_

_**Give it up, Valentine. The world's too big for you to go searching for her and hope to find her.**_

_...You're right. But, because it's a large world, I can't just very well leave her alone now._

_**You really think you can make a difference? You tried to make a difference once before, and look at what happened to you. Of course, I don't mind it. It's how I got here in the first place, after all!**_

_Bringing up my past again, I see._ He rested his right hand on Yuffie's shoulder. "Come on, we should go. She's not here."

"Where we headed next, then?"

"Not we, I. Yuffie, listen. This is something I should do alone, just in case..."

"In case...?" she pressed.

He sighed. "You might not know this, but I have difficulty controlling the Galian. I don't want to be filled with regret if it takes over and attacks you. We'll head back to Edge for now, then I'll set off alone."

"Oh." She gave a small smile. "You care about me, too? Aw, Vinny..."

He chuckled softly. "Don't let it get to you. I don't want to know what everyone else would say if they found out you died by my hand."

"Liar. You know I'm your friend, right?"

"However much a pain that is, yes."

She playfully punched him in the arm. "Ass."

They walked back to Edge, speculating where Tifa could have gone all the way. Once they arrived, Vincent reminded Yuffie that she better stay behind.

"But I won't be a liability! I swear it!" she protested.

He shook his head. "It's not that, Yuffie. I don't want people blaming me for your death, should the event occur."

"Who'd miss me?"

Vincent glared at her. "I don't ever want to hear those words out of your mouth again. There are too many people you know who'd miss you, and too many people you haven't met yet who'd miss you."

"Okay, okay! Sheesh, lighten up! I was just kidding around!"

He heaved a sigh. "You have one twisted sense of humor." He waved a hand to her as he set off.

_**So, where you off to next?**_

_I don't know, but I do know I'll find her. I have a guess, but I highly doubt it._

_**And?**_

Vincent reached the outskirts of Edge. _Nibelheim._

_**The same town that you told that idiot girl holds powerful memories for your friend?**_

_That's the one. Though I'd doubt she's in Shinra Manor for any reason, it won't hurt to look through the entire town, the manor included._

_**You realize that Nibelheim holds powerful memories for you as well.**_

_I know that. But it doesn't matter right now. I feel as though I've come to terms with my past and any memories associated with it._

_**...Oh?**_

_I won't ask you to understand. So Hojo made me who I am. If he hadn't, I probably wouldn't have met my comrades._ He thought about what he just said. _No, forget comrades. If he hadn't shot me then experimented on me, I probably wouldn't have met my friends. In a way, I'm grateful for it._

_**So you think Hojo's brilliant, then?**_

_Absolutely not. He was a damnable madman with no conscience or heart. I still hate him, but I can accept what he's done to me, at least a little easier than I could before._

_**And of Lucrecia?**_

_She's another matter entirely. I don't blame her for what happened to me. The blame falls to Hojo for taking her from me. She was never at fault._

_**...You seem unusually forgiving all of a sudden.**_

_It goes back to what you said nearly a month ago. 'How long can my illusion of forgiveness last?' or something like that. My answer is indefinitely. As long as I can find it in myself to forgive and forget, I can maintain that so-called illusion._

_**Hmph.**_The demon seemed bent on giving up, then had a sudden thought. _**And if this woman just thinks of you as a crutch?**_

_That's fine. Better a crutch than nothing to her. Besides, _he continued, holding the book still clutched in his claw up, eyes on the corner of the letter, _it sounds like she needs either a friend or a crutch right now. I'm more than willing to oblige her that._

_**You've come to a lot of answers in just one day.**_

_And just one question, one concern remains. What is this big weakness you claim I have? It doesn't matter if I uncover all the answers for my other questions; while I have that weakness, it matters but little._

_**If you haven't figured it out yet, you're dense.**_

Vincent ignored the insult. He had effectively taken away most of the Galian's ammunition in its war against his spirit, lowered its ability to unnerve him and weaken his soul. He had made it much easier to hold dominance over his body, and knew the Galian wouldn't try overcoming him if his soul was strong.

All that remained in the demon's arsenal was Vincent's weakness, and although Vincent was unaware of it entirely, he had even removed that from the demon's arsenal.

* * *

_And there's that chapter. Hope you enjoyed. Please review so I know how you like it! I realize it's getting read, but all I pick up on is that there's indifference when no one else reviews. I thank those who have reviewed, and hope to see more!_

_Will put up Chapter 7 at some point later. Yes, I may put up two chapters in one day. I'm looking to break a personal record here, I guess. -Spiritslayer_


	8. Back To The Start

_I really hate my Internet connection right now. I really do. It was stubborn on letting me on earlier, and my computer diagnosed the problem as a remote firewall blocking my access. Sounds like fun..._

_Regardless, it's let me on, and I suspect there'll be no more hitches with it. I sure do love ranting like this, don't I?_

_I had a fair amount of fun with this chapter, and I hope you enjoy it a lot. Sure, it raises questions that aren't immediately answered, but I'll get to that later._

_And now, to let you read it. -Spiritslayer_

* * *

A week had passed since he had left Yuffie in Edge and began his journey to Nibelheim. He had a feeling he would've arrived in Nibelheim a day sooner if he hadn't been forced to return to Kalm first to recover his Cerberus and a decent amount of ammunition.

_Well, at the time it seemed likely she'd be here,_ he thought, looking around the town of Nibelheim. _I'm not so sure now, though. Well, it couldn't hurt to look anyway. This is her hometown, after all._

His search proved highly uneventful. No one had seen Tifa at all, which dashed his hopes largely. He did, however, pick up that the rusty gate leading to Shinra Manor was opened, and that it had been closed for months prior. Again, he doubted it likely, but had nothing else to go on.

As he looked at the rundown manor, he hesitated. _Why would she be in there, I wonder?_ he thought as he progressed through the gate. He took care not to close it behind him; if she were inside, it was very likely she hadn't eaten anything in a while, and that he'd probably wind up carrying her outside.

_**There's a good chance that, if she is inside, she's dead from starvation.**_

_I'm aware of that, but I can't jump to conclusions until I see for myself._ He pushed the old doors leading inside open.

A strong odor greeted him, and he choked, holding his nose as he walked inside.

_**You're quite stupid. A stench this strong, no one would usually come inside to this.**_

_Again, I'm aware of that. But I can't leave until I've searched this place too. _He slowly released his nose and reluctantly took a breath. He choked again, glad he left the doors open. With luck, it'd air out considerably.

_**This scent...**_

_I don't want to think of it like that._ He started walking toward the staircase. _But it does smell like..._

_**Death. As though a human died in here recently.**_

He nodded gravely. _I can't deny that, but I direly hope it's not Tifa._ He reached the top of the staircase when he suddenly suspected he was being watched by something. His right hand shot to Cerberus, prepared to draw if the need arose. _You sense that?_

_**I do, and I can assure you, it's not human. Tread lightly, Valentine. I don't want some fiend claiming your life before I can.**_

_We both know you'll never overcome me without my consent. You've never done it, not once. You've had close calls, but that only means so much in the long run._

What felt like hours passed, and he had searched all but the areas behind the stone door, the hidden passage of Shinra Manor. And the whole time, that eerie feeling of being watched persisted. He had even looked around a few times, hoping to catch whatever it was in the act, but nothing of the sort happened. The feeling had remained, and even the Galian was feeling unnerved about it.

_**This is getting irritating, if you want my opinion, **_the demon grumbled. _**That feeling hasn't ceased once. Not once. How many times have you entered a room now?**_

Vincent nodded in silent agreement, eyes on the stone door as he approached it. _Maybe it'll go away when we head down there._ He forced the door open and began walking down the makeshift stairway.

_**It's still there, Valentine.**_

_I know that._ He reached the bottom of the stairs and began down the dirt corridor. _I wonder if the stench and the watched feeling are connected..._

_**Like a haunting spirit, you mean?**_

_Exactly. If that's the case, then we haven't done anything to anger said spirit yet._

_**You haven't, you mean. I can't do anything unless you let me come to surface. This has been all you, Valentine.**_

A snapping noise caught his attention and he yanked Cerberus from its holster, whipping it behind him, gaze following it. He saw nothing, and alternated sides, eyes searching the area.

_**Below you.**_

He looked down and saw the source. An old bone had snapped under his weight. He sighed, reluctantly holstering Cerberus again. _I wonder if she's getting the same feeling as I am._

_**That's if she's inside, don't forget.**_

He shrugged this notion off and walked past the room Hojo had stuck him in thirty years ago, walking for the study instead. He paused outisde the door and slowly opened it, trying to block out the eerie feeling that had just begun to irk him.

He didn't see anyone inside, and he almost roared in frustration. He resisted the urge, and began looking a little closer. _...Something's wrong._

_**Hm?**_

_Look around._ He swept his left claw in front of him. _Someone's been reading these books. There're only a couple left on the shelves._

_**Perhaps the haunting spirit?**_

_Possibly, though while it was still alive. _He walked toward the desk and saw a sight he wished he could ignore.

A half-decayed body was sitting in the chair behind the desk, a book open in front of it. _It's not her, thankfully._ He walked forward. _Makes me wonder who, though._

He was halted by a shrieking noise and his hand wrenched Cerberus from the holster again. He looked around and backed away slowly, turning around every so often so the mysterious source of the shriek couldn't take his back.

He had walked out of the study and closed the door before it stopped. _That was..._

_**...**_

He brushed past the door to his old room, pausing. _I very highly doubt it; the rest of the manor was empty. But..._ He turned and walked back to it, hand resting on the doorknob. He slowly turned it, Cerberus still in hand in case the shrieking rang out again. He drew a deep breath and threw the door open, eyes surveying the room.

_Found you,_ he thought, holstering Cerberus and heaving a sigh of relief. Tifa was laying on top of his old coffin, asleep. He gave a small amused smile, walking toward her. He rested a hand on her shoulder and gave her a small shake.

She stirred and cracked an eyelid open.

"I believe that's my coffin," he said, unable to hide the smile.

She closed her eye again, bringing a hand to her forehead. "Vince...?" she said weakly.

He nodded. "Yeah. You okay?"

She gave a weak chuckle. "Hardly." She sat up slowly, rocking uncertainly.

He sat next to her and placed an arm around her shoulders, holding her up. "Figured as much."

"Why... are you here...?" she asked him, turning her head slightly to face him.

"I was looking for you. You worried everyone, disappearing like that."

She tried smiling. "Sorry..."

He shook his head. "Don't worry about it. Come on, let's get you out of here." He stood slowly, halting as she shook her head.

"Can't..." she muttered. "That guy in the study..."

Vincent nodded. "I saw that. You saw him here?" he added.

She shook her head weakly. "Found... his body a few days ago. I haven't... been in here for very long. But each time... I try to leave the mansion..."

He nodded in realization. "That corpse's spirit stops you."

She nodded softly. "I thought... for sure, I'd meet... the same fate as him..." She stood slowly, testing her balance. She fell over into Vincent's right arm. "I'm... a mess..." she added.

"We need to get you out of here, and soon." He supported her and began walking for the door.

"He won't... let us leave..." she said hoarsely.

"Then we'll just have to force him, now won't we?"

"We can't... do anything to him..."

He gave a small smile. "True. But we'll get out, trust me. I didn't come all this way to let you die in here, Tifa. You mean too much to me."

She chuckled. "Yeah... right..." She glanced up at him. "Why, Vince...? Why'd you leave Edge... a month ago...?"

"First, we escape and get you some food and rest. Then we get into that. I promise."

She looked at him as hard as she could, then nodded. "Fair enough..."

They walked all the way to the exit in silence. Vincent stopped dead center of the large room. He looked around, still feeling those eyes on him. "Tifa, can you run?"

She shook her head. "I can't, no. Don't have enough energy..."

He slowly picked her up and walked to the nearest wall, sitting her down and leaning her against it. "Stay here until I'm done," he said.

She nodded, puzzled. "What are... you going to..." she began.

"Flush out this ghost and deal with it so we can get out of here. I'm sick of being watched," he said, walking toward the exit. He drew Cerberus as he went.

A loud shriek filled his ears as he came within four feet of the door and he felt something slam into his front, forcing him backward. "Well, I know it's partially tangible. I can get it, knowing that," he said, regaining any lost balance quickly and aiming Cerberus blindly. He looked around slowly and intently. _Hey._

_**What?**_

_Can you see ghosts and the like?_

_**I can. But I need to be in control in order to...**_ The demon understood. _**A transformation's in order, I assume.**_

Vincent nodded. _Just for the ghost. Any longer, and I'll seal you away so you can never even think of taking me over._

_**Fine, fine. Let me take over already.**_

Vincent holstered Cerberus and closed his eyes, relaxing his mind. He felt the Galian begin forcing its way to surface and he didn't fight it, allowing it to overtake Vincent's body within ten seconds.

_**Ah, it feels good to be on the surface again!**_ the demon roared inside its mind.

_Remember, this is just so you can--_

_**Crush this ghost, I know.**_ The Galian began looking around, sniffing the air carefully. _**I'll still have fun with it.**_

_I'd rather you didn't waste time here. Each minute that passes, Tifa loses strength._

_**If I didn't know any better, I'd say you've fallen in love with her.**_ The demon's eyes fixed on a wavering spot no more than five yards away. The demon began calling upon its demonfire and reared its head back, releasing bursts of fire at the spot.

A shrill screech filled the air as the Beast Flare connected full force with the apparition. It began flying wildly around the room, the Beast Flare having caught it on fire. This made it easier for the demon to locate it and pounce it. Claws and fangs ripped into the specter, silencing the screeching. The demon seized the apparition and pinned it to the wall opposite Tifa, eyes gleaming as it readied another Beast Flare and fired it off point blank at the apparition.

It loosed one final shriek before perishing, the fire vanishing with it.

_**That felt good. I need more!**_

_We had an agreement,_ Vincent thought, forcing the demon back. He slowly began his transformation to his human self, eyes still closed as he finished returning. He opened his eyes and looked around. He saw Tifa's head bob and rushed over to her. "Tifa," he said, kneeling beside her.

"...Vince..." she murmured. "Is... it..."

"It's gone. The Galian took it down." He helped her to her feet. "We can go now."

"...Good..." she managed. "...Vince..."

He silenced her. "Save your strength, Tifa. Let's focus on getting you out of here first." He began walking out of the manor.

"...Thank... you..." she murmured.

He smiled softly. "I said save your strength," he responded gently. "And you're welcome."

_**Valentine.**_

_Galian._

_**You never responded when I said you may have fallen in love with this woman.**_

_I didn't want to distract you. As for my love interests... I haven't fallen in love with Tifa._

_**Is that right? She really is beautiful, you know. She's capable of just about anything, too. Then again, it's none of my business.**_

_Quite right._ He walked past the gate, shutting it behind him. _And for that matter, what if I have fallen for her?_

He took the silence to mean the Galian was examining his thoughts and emotions. He was not mistaken.

_**You have fallen in love with her. You're just denying it.**_

_Prove it._ He set off for the inn, wondering how fast they could get medical aid here in Nibelheim; she'd need it.

_**When no one else was willing to take you in, to put up with you, she did. When you two talked, you tended to reveal more to her than to anyone else you're friends with. When you went to leave Edge, you did so reluctantly. And when you found out she was missing, you were frantic to find her.**_

_What about those facts sets love from friendship?_

_**Your emotions, your thoughts. For a long time, this woman was the only person on your mind. When that idiot girl came to visit you in Kalm, you thought it was this woman. You were sad to find out it wasn't, and wished you hadn't come downstairs.**_

_I don't see how that makes it love._

_**Then you're just dense. But I've been inside of you for thirty and a half years, Valentine. I know your inner workings better than you can learn them, remember? The way you feel about this woman... I observe all the facts, and they're the same as when you were in love with Lucrecia. The only difference is denial of said feelings.**_

_Why do you care so much, I wonder?_ He had pushed open the inn door and nodded to the innkeeper. "How fast can we get medical attention? I found my friend in Shinra Manor. According to her, she's been there for a few days now with no food or water."

The innkeeper's eyes widened. "Goodness, she's lucky to be alive then!" he exclaimed. "Please, bring her upstairs to the first room on your right! I'll call the doctor!"

"What of payment?" Vincent asked, starting for the stairs.

The innkeeper shook his head. "I'll foot that myself. Her life's more important right now!"

"Thank you," Vincent said, moving Tifa upstairs as quickly and as carefully as he could. He heard the innkeeper speaking frantically into a phone receiver as he reached the top of the stairs.

Vincent got no sleep that night, instead choosing to worry over his friend, as well as ponder what the Galian had said to him.

_Is it really possible... that I'm denying feelings for Tifa? She is like Lucrecia in many ways, I will admit that. But do my feelings for Lucrecia and how I feel about Tifa really mean the same thing? Am I really in love with Tifa?_

_**Ugh, I wish you'd shut up, **_the demon growled. _**Just accept the facts. You've fallen for her.**_

_But how would I confirm it? If I do love Tifa, is that because she's like Lucrecia? Or are the feelings genuine for Tifa?_

_**Don't ask me, I don't know or care. All I will say is that Lucrecia was a brilliant woman. So is this woman before you.**_

Vincent's attention was caught as Tifa stirred. He gave a small, warm smile. "Good morning," he offered.

"Mm... Vince? Where am..." She looked around. "Where am I...?"

"Nibelheim Inn. I thought any further would be foolish." He leaned forward slightly. "How're you feeling?"

She rubbed her eyes. "Hungry, but otherwise fine..."

Almost as though her words had been a cue, someone opened the room door and walked in with two trays of food. "Good morning you two. Breakfast?" he said merrily.

Vincent nodded, taking one tray and placing it in front of Tifa. He took the other one and set it next to him. "Thank you."

The man nodded, then turned his attention to Tifa. "You know... This guy stayed with you all night. I'm not sure if he even got sleep or not; his own room is just as it was when he first checked in. You've got a caring friend," he finished with a wink, bowing his head and walking out of the room.

Tifa's eyes strayed from the man to Vincent. "You did?"

He nodded. "I tried to get some sleep, but I was just too worried about you."

"Vince..." she said, eyes sliding to the tray of food. "I don't know... what to say..." She looked thoughtful for a moment, a look of extreme disappointment resting on her features shortly after. "Well, you have a lot of explaining to do, for starters."

He chuckled. "That I do..." he responded. "After you eat something, though."

She shook her head. "I'll listen while I eat. Start explaining."

"Fair enough." He leaned back in his chair. "Where do you want me to start?"

She had taken a bite of buttered toast and was enjoying it as though it were a piece of heaven. His question snapped her back to Gaia. "Let's see..." she pondered. "Why'd you leave Edge?"

It took him about an hour to tell her that the Galian's words had shaken him to his core and that he hadn't wanted to worry Tifa by staying behind. He then explained that he and the demon were capable of maintaining conversation, though it usually turned to arguments for control. It had taken a little coaxing from Tifa to reveal just what the Galian had said to him, but he eventually did and he recounted every word as best he could, with aid from the demon himself. He withheld the part about him questioning his friendship status with her, though.

She had gone from disappointed to suspicious. "That's all the Galian told you?" she asked.

Vincent nodded.

"You're lying. There's something missing. Vince, you know I hate lying, especially when I'm the one being lied to."

"...I didn't want to offend you with this part, but..." He hesitated.

"Go on..." she coaxed, crossing her arms, stern look on her face. "I'm waiting."

"...The Galian had also suggested that I wasn't a real friend to you. It suggested I was just a crutch for you to lean on while you dealt with your own past."

It took Tifa a fair bit of restraint to keep from spewing the coffee she had begun to drink, but she did restrain it. She looked at Vincent in utter disbelief. "And you let him _convince_ you of that?! You let him convince you that I might think of you as a crutch?!" she sputtered.

"I had a lot of doubts that night, Tifa. I didn't think so at first, but I couldn't be positive. This is a demon who was active while I was asleep for thirty years, don't forget."

"Well... I guess, but..." She shook her head, sipping her coffee again. "Why would you even think to doubt it, Vince? I never once thought of you as a crutch! I always thought of you as one of my best friends! Would I have worried so much that night if I thought of you only as a crutch?" She shook her head. "No! I've seen people like that, and it always makes me want to freak out! I could never do that to anyone!"

"As I've come to realize. I'm sorry, Tifa."

"...It's alright. But please, Vince. Next time you need to talk to someone, I'm here for you. You know that."

"And I for you." He paused. "So. Do you have anything you want to talk about?"

* * *

_I was feeling... spooky when I wrote this, and thought 'what better than a haunted Shinra Mansion?' But I also wanted to get a point across somehow that the mansion was no longer crawling with monsters, and decided that Vincent being unnerved by a haunting spirit would do nicely. I'm quite proud of this chapter, to be honest. Again, I'll cover why Tifa was in the mansion, why she was in Vincent's old room, who the dead guy was and why he was reading so obsessively in later chapters. Bear with me._

_I want to thank all those who've reviewed, all those who've favorited this story and all those who've put this story on their story alerts list. At this point I will say the end of the story is in sight for me, and I hope you keep enjoying this story until its end. -Spiritslayer_


	9. Accepting The Past

_Well then. Since I'm so beat, I'll just let you guys skip right to the next chapter. -Spiritslayer_

* * *

She blinked twice. "Me?" she asked.

Vincent nodded. "You."

"Oh, um..." She shook her head. "No, not really..."

"What about your past?" he offered.

"I... I could..." she said, still feeling quite taken aback. "Of course, you're sharing yours after me."

He smiled and nodded. "Of course."

She looked down at her empty tray. A small smile played at her mouth. "It's... funny, actually. We're right where my past is centered."

"That right?" he said.

"Mm." She looked up at the ceiling. "Oh, where to start... Um, well... I was born here in Nibelheim. My mother died while I was young, so my father cared for me until I was fifteen."

"He passed away too?"

She bowed her head. "Nothing so simple. He was murdered. By Sephiroth, five and a half years ago, in the Nibelheim incident."

"I'm sorry," Vincent said quietly.

She shook her head, looking up at Vincent, a smile on her face. "It's not as big a deal anymore. I've recovered from it."

He felt the smile was forced. "Anyway, continue."

"There's really not much left to tell. I trained in martial arts under Master Zangan, and became a guide through Mt. Nibel. The rest... well, everyone knows the rest. Remember? Six months ago, when Cloud and I emerged from the Lifestream?"

Vincent nodded gently. "I remember, though it's vague."

She leaned against the headboard. "Why'd you ask about my past, anyway?" she asked with a small frown. "It doesn't make sense."

_No turning back now, I suppose._ "It seems odd that I call you my friend and don't really know your past that well."

She looked confused. "That's the only reason?"

He shook his head. "No. I also think that you don't have to deal with your past alone. By telling me your past, you let me into you life a little more."

She crossed her arms slowly. "And with you about to share your past with me, you're letting me into your life a little more," she said, the realization dawning on her.

"Tifa, you're about to go where no one else has ever gone. I haven't told anyone else my past in detail."

"In this sense, we're both carrying the weight of each other's past, of each other's burdens."

"You once told me that I didn't have to suffer my past alone. The same could be said of you, Tifa." He closed his eyes. "I'm stalling. Ready?"

"Go ahead."

He slowly started by telling her about how he came to be assigned to Nibelheim as a Turk, to be assigned to protect Lucrecia. From there, he launched into telling her about Lucrecia, his time with her, everything he felt was important. Then he turned the topic to Hojo and how he came to Nibelheim, how he stole Lucrecia away, how he ended Vincent's life as a Turk and gave rise to the life of a monster.

Tifa was silent as Vincent talked, simply nodding in understanding. As he wrapped up, she looked down at her lap, still silent.

Vincent regarded her, wondering what was going through her mind. _Did I make a mistake telling her my past? Has my past cost me my friendship with her?_ He decided to wait for her to speak first.

"...Vince."

"Hm?"

She looked up at him and locked eyes with him. "Thank you. I feel like I know you much better now."

He nodded. He knew that was a neutral statement, and that in turn told him that there was no guarantee she accepted him for who he was.

"You said... that Lucrecia was stolen from you by Hojo." Tifa dropped her gaze again, as though afraid she was starting to push it.

He nodded. _What's she thinking right now?_

_**Ask her, not me.**_

"I..." She hesitated, then continued. "I don't think he did."

"What?" Vincent asked, realizing what she had said.

"Hojo didn't steal Lucrecia from you. You didn't... you didn't stop her." Tifa's voice was slightly trembling. _I've crossed a line saying that, I just know it._

He looked at her, an eyebrow raised. "I tried to stop her, but she wouldn't listen. Hojo stepped in and--"

She raised her hand to him. "No. She went to him." She hesitated again, then gave what seemed to be a reaffirming nod. "It's certainly true you lost her to him, but he didn't steal her from you. You let her go."

"..." He wasn't sure what to make of this... this accusation. _She's pinning this on me?_

Tifa locked eyes with his again. "While you were telling your story, you had said, just once, that you felt your love with Lucrecia was one-sided, that you felt she didn't exactly return your feelings. Maybe... you let her go because you knew, deep down, that you wouldn't be her true love. You... you didn't want to deny her true love."

His face bore no expression, nor did he nod or shake his head. Tifa was unsure how to continue, but she pressed on regardless. She felt that Vincent had to hear this.

"Lucrecia... she didn't want you to be denied true love either, so she left you for Hojo. She wanted you to be happy, and she probably knew you wouldn't be happy with her. At least, not in the true sense of the word."

Silence met her ears.

"...Vince, say something, please. I'm worried that I may have... said something I shouldn't have..." she finally said. She started to say something else, but mentally shook her head; she'd wait to see what he said.

He looked away, breaking his gaze with hers. His mind was racing. _No. Hojo stole her from me! I tried and tried to keep her from going, to keep her from offering her child up for an experiment! And she didn't listen! Then he came and scooped her up, consoled her. He stole her from me!_

Tifa bit her lip. His blank expression was telling her nothing, nor were his eyes. She couldn't read body language as he could, and had no way of knowing how he was accepting what she had said. The only thing she could discern was that he was annoyed somehow, as he had looked away from her. "Vince, what's on your mind right now?"

"...He stole her from me," he finally said, voicing his mind. "She and I fought for that moment. I tried to keep her from doing it, but she ignored me. She left me behind, and Hojo scooped her up, consoling her. He stole her from me!" he finished, his voice raising at the last line. "Don't suggest I gave her up!"

Tifa closed her eyes. "I thought you'd accept it that way, and I was afraid of that. But think, Vince! For just a moment, see it from her point of view!"

He opened his mouth to speak, and thought about it, closing his mouth slowly. "I... suppose she didn't want me to be hurt, so she..." He shook his head. "But he stole..."

Tifa shook her head. "No, Vince," she responded quietly. "No, he didn't steal her away. From what you said, she left you so she could offer her child up to experimentation. I'm fairly sure the JENOVA cells research wasn't hers. He had approached her about it already, and she knew he would have no problems offering up his own child, especially if the mother was as dedicated to it as he."

Vincent realized the point Tifa was trying to make, and recalled one other small snippet from his memory. "I just remembered... Shortly after Hojo shot me, I was barely conscious. I heard... Lucrecia... asking Hojo why he had shot me, and he only laughed. Then, shortly after he had finished his experiments on me, she saw me. I don't remember seeing her, but... I think she was crying."

Tifa gave a small nod. "She didn't want you hurt, Vince. She left you because she wanted to pursue his research and knew you were oppressed to the idea. She left you for Hojo, he didn't steal her from you."

Vincent gave a slow nod in understanding. "All this time... Was I wrong? Wait..." he added, recalling something the Galian Beast had said to him some time ago. "The Galian... told me that when Lucrecia went to Hojo, I thought 'can't be helped'. Then, I knew the truth of it, but after thirty years..."

She opened her eyes and looked to him. "Time can distort many things, Vince, especially someone's perspective on the truth of something."

_You listening to this? Because of things you've said, I'm coming to terms with my past, learning to live with it._

_**Hmph.**_

"How you felt with her, Vince, will never change. The times you shared were very real, but you need to move on with your life, pick up the pieces and start anew."

He looked back at her, his eyes meeting hers. The two looked into one another's eyes for a while, neither one blinking, neither one speaking. Neither one moved.

In that moment, they understood one another perfectly. Tifa, her brown eyes searching his red eyes, realized that the very same advice she had just given Vincent was advice she herself had neglected. She had hoped that Cloud would come around, see how she felt for him. But he never had.

She smiled lightly. But that was the past now. She was ready to move on, to accept the facts. Cloud would never return her feelings for him, but that was alright.

She had fallen in love with someone else, and she knew this love was more true than her infatuation with Cloud.

Vincent cleared his throat, looking away and blinking a few times to rehydrate his eyes. His eyes fell on his own tray of food. He still hadn't eaten, but oddly enough, he wasn't hungry at that moment.

She followed his eyes and giggled. "It's cold by now, Vince. Should've eaten it while it was still hot."

He gave a soft smirk. "I wasn't hungry, and I'm still not. I had thought that if you were still hungry, well..."

She smiled at his generosity. She had definitely fallen for the right man. "Thanks, Vince. That means so much."

Her phone rang, causing both of them to jump. He looked at her questionably. "You had your phone with you."

She nodded, pulling it out and checking the number.

"On."

She smiled and looked at Vincent again, answering it. "Hi Cloud," she said. She had felt her smile was answer enough to Vincent.

Vincent listened to her talk to Cloud and could barely hear the swordsman's voice. He couldn't make out what Cloud was saying, but he could tell from the tone that he was relieved to be talking to Tifa.

"I'm sitting in Nibelheim Inn with Vince," she said. A small frown appeared on her face. "Vincent. You're kind of dense, you know that?"

Vincent chuckled at her comment to Cloud. _I'm certainly glad I found her. I'm glad I talked to her._

_**Why's that?**_

_Our friends can stop worrying about her disappearance, for one._

_**Hah. You didn't care personally.**_

_Wrong. I had never felt more relieved when I found her. Part of me is in her now, and I don't regret the decision. She knows my past and even went so far as to challenge my thoughts on part of it. She was willing to put her friendship on the line for the sake of the truth. It takes a true friend to do that._

_**But you don't think of her as a friend. You never have.**_

Vincent barely shook his head. _Until recently, I thought of her as a friend. Now, I think of her as the woman I love._

_**So I was right.**_

_Well, as much as I hate crediting you with something, yes. I hadn't realized it until you put it in perspective for me. Which leads me to a question._

_**What is it now?**_

_Why does it seem like you were trying to help me sort out my life? You always look for an opening to take me over through, and if you can't find one, you try making one. So why help me out? Why help me start living again? I won't deny that you were right before. If I had gone missing, it was likely it wouldn't have mattered. But now I've made an impact on someone's life, as she's done to me. Why help me out like that, and deny yourself a free existence?_

_**Fool. I pointed out your shortcomings, remember? I didn't do anything in helping you sort them out. You did that on your own.**_

_One last question for you, then. When my very soul was shaken, practically broken, why didn't you attempt taking me over?_

_**...**_

Vincent watched Tifa hang up the phone and put it in her lap with a sigh. _I don't think you ever wanted to fully take me over, honestly. I think you just live to torment me._

"Vince." Her voice seemed almost flat as she said his name.

"Is something wrong?" he asked her.

Tifa closed her eyes. She slowly shook her head. "No, nothing's wrong." She smiled at him. "Nothing at all."

"Tifa, I know you well enough to know you're lying to me right now. The smile says it all."

"Have I really become that predictable...?" she asked, the smile fading slowly. Her eyes slowly opened and Vincent saw the sadness reflected in them.

"Tifa... When something's bothering you or making you sad, don't be afraid to show it. Smiling like that just masks it and makes it difficult for someone who cares about you to tell something's bothering you."

She chuckled softly. "You seemed to figure it out fast enough."

He gave a wry smile. "Well, after seeing your expressions for three weeks, it comes to the eyes. Your eyes will always betray any mask you put on, Tifa. And from your eyes, I sense sadness."

She sighed. "You sure it's not the tears I'm trying to fight back?"

"I'm sure. Now, I'll ask again. What's wrong?"

Tifa bit her lip. "Shinra."

* * *

_Ugh... should have taken the bus today... But no, I had the bright idea to walk in 83F degree weather today. IN PANTS. I can be an idiot sometimes, I'll confess it._

_I'm mildly disappointed. No, not with you guys, but with myself. I didn't write up the next chapter of my other story last night, so that's a day behind. I'm falling behind big time, I swear to the gods... Well, in retrospect, my Final Fantasy team has begun scratching the surface of 2000 years regressed Chaos Temple. I'm not looking forward to the fight with Chaos; I reached him in my now-missing PSP version and tried killing him twice. Ran out of MP, and had no more Ether to use. I've packed more Ether this time, and my Red Wizard has Exit in case I need more. Have a Red Wizard, Black Wizard, and White Wizard x2. One White Wizard's healing oriented, the other's combat oriented. I have a good feeling about this team, I really do. Only had one casualty thus far, and that was my Red Wizard (Red Mage at the time) against Marilith. Stupid boss..._

_Ah, enough ranting of Final Fantasy. That's time I could've used to work on the next chapter of Hiding Secrets, but oh well. Chances are good I'll be doing that later tonight anyway. And now I rant pointlessly. I shall leave you all be for now. -Spiritslayer_


	10. And Moving On

_Well, I apologize for the delay. I would've gotten this chapter up Saturday, but I was feeling quite under the weather and decided to stay home. Wasn't feeling so hot yesterday, either. Regardless, I'm back! With more chapters! And... yeah, let's not get carried away here._

_I will say I was surprised to see that many review alerts in my e-mail, and thought 'damn! it took off while I was away!' I'd say keep it up, but I somehow sense that's pushing things..._

_Well, no further ado, I suppose. Here's the next chapter. -Spiritslayer_

* * *

"Shinra?" Vincent repeated. "I thought they were finished when that WEAPON attacked Midgar?"

She shook her head. "Apparently not entirely. Cloud just saw one of the Turks and confronted them. He learned that he was on-duty, which would mean Shinra's not defeated yet."

Vincent relaxed slightly. "That's it? Just Shinra?"

Tifa looked at him questionably. "Excuse me?"

"If Shinra's survival is the concern, it's not that great. They suffered grand losses, after all. If one Turk is out and about, then that must mean more Turks are still alive and well. They're no large threat, and I think any hope they have of starting over is gone now. So I'll say it again. That's it?"

Tifa nodded slowly. "But the fact that the Turks survived..."

"Without direct orders from the president, the Turks aren't much of a threat. Being a former Turk, I can more or less assert that fact."

She looked down. "...Do you think it's possible... that Rufus survived the assault on the tower? While we were evacuating everyone, I stumbled across one of the Turks and heard him shouting into his com unit that the President was on the top floor of the tower. If he's still alive, by some chance..."

"Tifa. It's fine, really. Even if Rufus _is_ alive, he's not stupid. If he's still alive, he knows what happened six months ago. He's not likely to start Shinra up the way it used to be, siphoning Mako from the planet."

"...And if he does?" she challenged coldly.

"If he does, he knows who he'll have to answer to with just himself and a handful of Turks. Leaving them alone won't hurt, Tifa. In reality, with the reality of Mako uncovered, we should probably leave it to the Turks and whoever's leading them to find a new energy source, one that won't destroy the planet in the long run."

"Well... I guess you're right, but..."

"Tifa, there's nothing to worry about." Vincent crossed his arms slowly.

The two sat in silence for a while, unsure of what to say.

Vincent broke the silence. "If you had your phone with you, then surely you got call after call."

She nodded bitterly. "I... at the time, I didn't want to talk to anyone. I just wanted to try sorting out my own thoughts for a while."

"But you know as well as I do how well that works."

She smiled gently. "It doesn't work."

"Mm."

"Each time it rang, I hoped it would be you so I could talk to you, figure things out. I wasn't sure why you had just up and left like that, but at first, I felt you'd come back later."

He pulled out the note she had left in his room back at the bar. "I could tell," he said, showing it to her.

She looked at it in surprise. "You... went back?"

He nodded his head, folding the note and putting it back in his pocket. "Right after Yuffie told me that you had been missing for a month."

She felt her smile slip. "I worried everyone... I didn't bother staying long enough to see everyone else. I didn't show up to the event I organized..." She chuckled sadly. "I'm so pathetic. I let you leave, and I let the fact that you were gone get to me."

"You're not pathetic, Tifa." He leaned forward in his chair. "You know that."

She hung her head. "Cloud... he had told me that he asked you to come and you waited for him to finish before you told him you weren't going to it."

"Mm." _That's right too. She still has feelings for him. I guess... all I can do for her is help her handle his... ignorance._

"When I heard that, I thought there was a much better chance of getting you to come. All I would've had to do was talk you into it. But... I never got the chance. You vanished from Edge fifteen minutes later, so I never got the chance to ask..."

"I still wouldn't have gone."

She chuckled again, and he sensed a definitive tone of sadness in it. "No, I guess not. You never were one for crowds, and you're still not... That was something else I wanted to help you overcome, was your dislike of crowds. It's still something I want to do..."

Vincent watched her shoulders shake and stood slowly, choosing to sit next to her instead. "Are you okay?" he asked, placing his left arm around her and taking care not to graze her with his claw.

She looked up at him, tears leaking at her eyes. "I told you... I was having trouble fighting tears back..."

He gave her a kind smile, reaching his right hand up to wipe the tears from her eyes. "So those weren't triggered by news of Shinra."

She shook her head gently. "Hearing Cloud say how worried he had been about me..."

"That makes you sad? If I were in your shoes, I'd be glad to hear he worried."

"I was glad, but..." She sighed. _It was almost like he had heard me move on from him..._ "I... just hadn't thought he'd care that much."

Vincent rested his claw carefully on her shoulder and gave her a reassuring hug. "You're his best friend, Tifa. Of course he worried."

"But... I never wanted to remain his best friend. I'm sure everyone else noticed that too."

Vincent gave a nod. "We did."

"And for all my efforts, he never returned my feelings." _But that's over now. The new man in my life..._

Vincent's grasp around her loosened slightly. _I knew it. She's still caught up over him. She can't torment herself like this anymore._ "Tifa..."

She sniffed, attempting to dry her eyes. She looked at Vincent. "And when he's furthest from my mind, he calls and lets me know how worried he was." _Because the man I love now..._

Vincent looked at her, confused. "Furthest from your mind?"

She nodded, closing her eyes and resting her head lightly against his. "He's cruel like that, toying with my emotions. He ignores my feelings when I talk to him, but he worries endlessly about me when I don't. And because it's not worth the pain..." She sighed gently. "I've moved on." _The man I love..._

Vincent could almost swear his ears had deceived him. She had gotten over her longtime crush, Cloud Strife? She had moved on from the one-sided love? "I'm happy for you, Tifa. You didn't deserve that constant pain, and you still don't."

"Vince..." She lifted his arm off of her and turned to face him. "Thank you so much. I can't begin to tell you how lucky I feel right now." She threw her arms around him and hugged him.

He was certainly caught off guard by the sudden movement. He wrapped his arms around her and returned the hug, the fingers on his right hand caressing her hair. "And why's that?" he said in almost a whisper.

"Because..." She pulled back enough to look into his eyes. "The one who helped me realize my biggest mistake..." She smiled at him. "...is now the man I care about most."

He was fairly sure she was talking about him, but he had to make sure before he gave in to his own feelings. "This man... he wouldn't happen to have raven-black hair, red eyes and a false left arm, would he?"

She giggled, a true smile on her face.

He read her eyes and learned the answer through her current emotion. He gazed into her eyes and was able to predict what she was about to do. He was more than willing to oblige her as he gently pressed his lips against hers.

She gasped slightly as he kissed her, but she allowed the shock to subside quickly. She simply returned it, holding him closer against her body.

Both of their minds were suddenly still as they were connected in this one moment. Not even the Galian was daring to interrupt Vincent's thoughts for fear of being berated for hours on end.

He eventually withdrew from her, still holding her in his arms. His eyes found hers sparkling once they opened, and he felt a smile slip to his face. "I guess so."

"Vince..." she breathed. "I..."

He gently shook his head. "Don't say it."

She giggled again. "I love you, Vince."

He put a face of mock disappointment on his face. "I told you not to say it," he replied. A smile betrayed his act and he kissed her again. Once they had pulled away again, he gave a small sigh. "I love you too, Tifa."

She closed her eyes slowly. "I know."

He chuckled. "Now you do, yeah." He hugged her tightly.

After some time, he let go of her and sat back. "You feeling better?" he asked.

"Well..." She gave a small smile. "I don't think I should be up and about just yet. I might need another day to rest, to recover."

He gave her a gentle nod. "Then, I should let you rest." He glanced to the tray of food brought earlier and frowned at it. "Think I'll bring that to my room so the smell's not driving you nuts."

She allowed a giggle, nodding to him. She lay down on the bed again, head resting on the pillow. She smiled at him as he walked toward the door, tray in hand. "Thank you, Vince. For everything." Her eyes closed slowly.

He paused and turned to face her. "No problem. I'm always here for you, you know."

"I know..." She let a sigh escape her lips and she fell asleep again.

_**So just like that, you leave her alone. You don't think her words, her thanks, were suspicious at all? Sounded to me like she's planning on leaving or like she's dying.**_

_You're overthinking things. There's no way she's going to leave without me._ He closed her door behind him and walked across the hall to his own room, opening it and balancing the tray carefully. He stepped inside and set the tray on the nightstand next to his bed. _If she tries it, I'll know._

_**Oh? And how's that?**_ the demon taunted. _**You going to watch her?**_

_Don't be absurd. I need rest as much as she does. Besides, now I know she's fine. I don't need to be at her side at all hours. Although... She doesn't know my room's across the hall from hers. She might worry I left without her if she wakes up..._ He shook his head, sitting on the bed. _No, she'd ask the receptionist if I checked out._

_**You seem rather confident about that.**_

_And you seem to be so intent on sowing seeds of doubt in my mind. It's not going to work anymore, Galian. Give up. _He lay down on the bed slowly, his thoughts on Tifa. Would she be ready to go tomorrow? Would they head straight to Edge from Nibelheim? Would they tell everyone how they felt about one another? Thought after thought darted through his mind, each one chasing the last away. His mind was still swamped in thought when he fell asleep, many questions left unanswered.

--

Vincent awoke and sat up slowly, mind swimming. He shook his head to clear it and set his feet on the floor. He immediately decided to check on Tifa, see how she was doing. He walked to the door and opened it. _She's probably still asleep, but it never hurts to check._

He expected to hear commentary from the Galian, but the demon wasn't responding in any way. Well, he didn't let it affect him. He still hated the demon and was more than happy to be free of its words. He slowly opened Tifa's door and looked inside.

She was sitting up, eyes closed. He stepped forward into her room, closing the door quietly behind him. She opened her eyes slowly and fixed them on Vincent. Her expression didn't change from the somber look she had on her face.

"Vincent..." she said.

"You okay?" he asked her, putting aside the fact that she hadn't called him by her little nickname for him.

"How do I know you really love me?"

He was stunned by this question. "Is it... something I really have to prove? Tifa..."

She looked away from him. "I need to know, Vincent. Can you prove it?"

"I..." He sighed exasperatedly. "How can I prove it to you?"

She remained silent. "I'm afraid..." she began.

He sat down on the bed next to her. "Of what?"

She moved away from him slowly, raising his suspicions but forcing no words to his mouth. "You once said that... my words, my reasoning... they resembled Lucrecia's words and reasoning."

He gave a slow nod. "They do."

"How do I know, then, that you love me?"

"Tifa, I..." He looked at her. "What's on your mind?"

She bit her lip. "I'm..."

"Tifa... what's wrong?"

She looked like she was about to explode, and she finally came out with it. "I'm afraid you only love me because I'm like Lucrecia!"

"What? I... No!" Vincent realized what was going through her mind. "Tifa, no! I love you for you!"

"But how do I know that?" she practically cried out, hanging her head. "Can you prove that you love me for me?"

"Tifa..." He reached a hand out to her and wondered if she was retreating further from him; the distance between them seemed to be growing.

"You can't, can you? So that's it. You love me because I remind you of your long lost love!" She looked up at him, and what he saw was not what he was expecting.

Lucrecia's face was looking back at him, not Tifa's. "Why, Vincent? Why are you like that?" she seemed to plead. She stood from the bed and walked further and further away, fading from view in time.

Vincent opened his mouth to speak, but heard a shot ring out. His body was jolted, and he looked down. Blood was beginning to ooze from a point where he had been shot. "Who..." he wondered, falling over softly. _Lucrecia? Tifa? No..._

"She doesn't need you anymore, fool! Leave her be!" he heard a familiar voice ring out. He cringed, forced to listen as the voice spoke again. "Well, it's beyond your control now, isn't it? You've made a wrong choice, Valentine!" What seemed to be crazed laughter met his ears and he looked up.

Hojo was in his line of sight, facing away from Vincent. He could spot a gun hanging from Hojo's right hand and knew in that instant what had happened. He reached a hand out and made a feeble attempt to grab the scientist, even though he knew how far away Hojo was. Instead, what caught his attention now was his hand. It wasn't his human hand, nor was it his left claw.

It was the claw, the unmistakable claw, of the Galian Beast. Had he transformed when Hojo shot him? He suddenly lost all control and heard the demon's voice ring through his mind.

_**No one needs you, Valentine! This is how things should have always been! **_it roared triumphantly. It fought off Vincent's attempts to regain control, to force the demon down. It raised its left claw and plunged it into its chest, digging around for a moment. _**It may be my core, but I won't die puncturing your heart while I'm present!**_ it taunted.

Vincent couldn't find words. The pain was forcing him to concentrate on regaining control, not realizing how futile the efforts were. His mind jolted as the demon penetrated something, and he felt himself slipping away slowly.

_**Farewell, Valentine. Unlike you, I'll live.**_

Vincent's mind went blank, cackling laughter filling his thoughts as he lost control for good.

--

He bolted upright, crying out. His breathing was labored, his face covered in sweat. He looked at himself carefully and saw he was himself. He breathed a large sigh of relief. _It was... just a nightmare._

_**You enjoy it?**_ the demon asked, cackling. _**I know I did.**_

He ignored the demon and thought about what possible meaning the nightmare could've held. His mind came to rest on what the nightmare-Tifa had asked him. _"Can you prove you love me for me?"_ _Is that... really the case...? Do I love Tifa because she's like Lucrecia...?_ He set his feet on the floor, hesitating. He decided to check on her, see how she was doing. He also hoped that, if she were awake, her train of thought wasn't anything like what he was subjected to in his nightmare.

He reluctantly opened the door. "Tifa?" he said gently, stepping inside.

She was still asleep, a smile on her face as she dreamed. He gave a small sigh of relief, but knew he couldn't rest easily yet either. He had to know what she thought about them. As he sat down in the chair next to her bed, he rested his elbows on his knees and folded his hands together, resting his chin on his hands. He slowly came to realize that while he needed to know how she felt, he knew one other person needed to know.

As she stirred, he took a deep breath. He needed to know how _he_ truly felt, to know his love for Tifa wasn't as it was projected in his nightmare.

* * *

_At this point, I think it's safe to say I don't favor using '--' much, but use them I do, especially for situations like that. And yet, I think this part's the only one in the story thus far where I use them..._

_Well, there's that. I'm tempted to put up the next one to make up for the missed one on Saturday, since it's done as well, but I'm undecided on it. If I do, it might be a little later. If not, tomorrow for sure, unless some unforeseen circumstance prevents me from doing so. -Spiritslayer_


	11. Understanding One's Heart

_I apologize, everyone. My updates aren't as frequent as they used to be, but that's because things are relatively hectic in my life nowadays. I still update when I get a chance, like this, but I warn you that my updates may be a little patchy from now on. Just a heads up; I'll keep trying to update often all the same._

_Also, a small warning before I forget. I will NOT be updating on July 4th, 5th or 6th. I have alternate plans made for the 4th and am going to a party on the 5th. The 6th is Sunday, and that's my... official day off from updates of any nature. Yeah, that sounds right... But I will plan on updating on the 7th, so don't worry about it. Again, as I said above, there are no guarantees._

_I think I've gone on enough about updates and whatnot. Here's the next chapter. -Spiritslayer_

* * *

Her eyes fluttered open, a happy look sweeping them shortly after. She sat up, a smile to match her eyes on her face. "Hey, Vince," she said softly.

He smiled, the thoughts still on his mind. How was he going to say what was on his mind without worrying her? And further, what if she went there? What if she brought up her similarities to Lucrecia?

_**She's quite like Lucrecia in most senses of the name. All she's missing is the looks.**_

"You okay?" she asked, seeing the small glimmer of worry in his eyes.

He gave a small chuckle. "Just like me. You can tell from my eyes how I'm feeling."

She nodded. "After a few weeks of talking to you, Vince, it's bound to happen. I'm bound to see when something's bothering you. So come on, what's wrong?"

"Tifa..."

"Hm? I'm listening, you know. It's okay, you can tell me."

"I know." He drew a deep breath, exhaling slowly and quietly. "Tifa, I love you."

She gave a half-smile, a look of confusion settling into her eyes. "I love you too, Vince. What... brought this on, though?"

He ignored the cackling of the Galian, suddenly wondering if the demon could rip Vincent's very core out as it had in his nightmare. He mentally shook the thought from his mind. He looked away slightly. "I've heard your views on my position with Lucrecia, and I have to agree with you. She left me, and I let her go. Do you think, then, that she's a bad person?"

She brought her half-smile to a full one. "Of course not. You two loved one another, but then he brought up the experiment idea. I guess, in that sense, he ripped you two apart, but it was ultimately down to you two."

He shook his head. "I mean..." He wondered how to word it, his brow furrowed slightly. "What do you think of her? From my memories of her, I mean."

"Well..." She looked at her hands for a moment, then focused on his eyes. "From your memories, I think she was kind. She was considerate of someone's feelings, but was unable to put the feelings of someone else before herself. I think I could call that her one fatal flaw, actually."

He nodded slightly. "I see. So you don't think she's a bad person, then."

"No. She made a bad decision in her life, that's all. She sounds like a very nice person despite that. I would've liked to meet her, were it possible." She gave a laugh. "Of course, I don't count seeing her in that cavern as 'meeting her'. That just doesn't work."

"I suppose not." He sighed, relaxing a little.

"But what brought that on? You have another nightmare revolving around her? Around your past?"

"Hm... not exactly. That is to say, it started out in the present, but somewhere along the line, it went to my past. After that... Well, it could've gone back to the present. I'm not too sure."

"But you did have a nightmare." She patted the bed next to her. "Tell me about it?"

He stood and sat next to her, leaning his back against the headboard. She leaned against him, resting her head against his chest. "It's... difficult to begin," he said, wrapping his arms around her and holding her against him.

"Then start from the beginning," she said quietly, closing her eyes.

_**Don't leave her in suspense. She 'loves' you, after all. It's inconsiderate to do that to the woman you 'love'.**_

_Silence._ He slowly dove into his nightmare, telling her everything. It still burned vividly in his mind, making the details almost too easy to recall. It didn't help him much that the demon kept pestering him, adding details that Vincent may have otherwise forgotten.

He finished and looked at her closed eyes, waiting for her response. "It's been on my mind since I woke up."

She was still leaning against him, eyes still closed. She wasn't smiling, but he could tell she wasn't angry or sad. If anything, the air about her seemed... contemplative. "Vince..." she finally said, her eyes opening. "I think the demon's trying to throw your sense of truth off. I know you love me for me, Vince, and would never _dream _otherwise. So what if I'm like Lucrecia in terms of words and reasoning? Isn't that where our similarities end?"

He nodded. "You're right, I just..."

She smiled, eyes closing again. "It's alright. It's certainly understandable, I think."

"How so?"

She sighed gently. "Well, from your point of view, you've seen a lot of hell in your life. Some of your thoughts cause you to judge yourself harshly. I've seen it, trust me. And from my point of view, it's not the wrong way for you to think. It's not, by any right, the proper way to think either, but I can understand where you're coming from with that."

"But--"

"Look. Do _you_ think you love me because I'm like her?"

He smiled, eyes sliding closed. "I know I don't. I love you for you."

"Then that's settled." She rested her hands on his arms, her left hand coming in contact with the cool metal that was his left forearm.

"Tifa."

"Mm?" She looked up at him. "Something else is on your mind."

"Not really." He forced the thought from his mind, not wishing to dwell on it longer. "When I came in, you were smiling. Were you having a pleasant dream?"

She smiled, nodding her head. "I was. Let's see... you were in it, and so was Cloud. Oh, so was Yuffie. And Reeve, for some reason or another..." She paused to think about that one. "Well, it was about our return to Edge. We told everyone about us, and they were all happy. Or rather, everyone acted that way. Yuffie was genuinely ecstatic about it, and Cloud was happy for both of us."

"And Reeve?"

She let a fit of giggles overcome her. "He was just... well, there. He didn't really say much on the matter."

"I'm sure he'd have something to say about it when we tell everyone about us. It's just not Reeve if he stays quiet."

"You think so too, huh?" She smiled, eyes closed again. "That makes me wonder... How are we going to tell everyone we're in love without making a big deal of it?"

"I think that if Yuffie finds out at all, there'll be a big deal anyway. There's nothing we can do to avoid that."

"True," she replied, laughing softly. "So just come out and tell them?"

"No harm in it, I think. Best if we get one big reaction as opposed to multiple small reactions. Easier to handle that way."

"That means it'd involve a crowd. Think you're up to it?" she teased.

"I think I could manage it."

Her smile fell. "Why is it that you're not very good with crowds, anyway?"

"It's this damnable demon inside me. The Galian, I mean."

"Meaning...?"

"Well, when I'm in a crowd, I tend to get unsettled fairly easily. This makes my resistance to the Galian considerably low, and it tends to try forcing a transformation at times like that. It's happened once before, and I've avoided crowds since."

"Then... we shouldn't tell them all at once."

He kissed the top of her head. "It's not a problem. When you're with me, the Galian's actually rather tame. Even now, it's not saying anything to me, not taunting me. He seems to hold you in some high regard, actually."

"I'm honored, I guess." She snuggled up to Vincent, trying to get more comfortable. "There a reason?"

"I think I have it figured out. The demon holds Lucrecia in high regard as well, and it's made comparisons between you and Lucrecia a lot. I think the Galian sees you as Lucrecia, the woman Hojo married. And when you get technical, Hojo is, in a sense, the Galian's father."

"Because he put the demon in your body, giving it life?"

Vincent nodded. "Seems to enjoy reliving the past, much to my expense. Or rather, it used to be at my expense. Now that I've worked out the finer points of my past and come to terms with it, now that I'm living with my past..."

She nodded her head in understanding. "The nightmares still visit, but they don't have as large an effect on you as they used to?"

"Yes. It seems like I was most vulnerable when the Galian brought up my past, and that made it fairly easy for the demon to attempt a transformation." He thought on this for a moment, then realized what that meant. "Of course..."

"What's up now?"

"I... Once, the demon told me I had a weakness that I couldn't discard or cover up. At first, I couldn't figure it out, but once I came to terms with my past, the attempts to use my past lessened greatly."

"Which would mean your past was your weakness?"

He breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, it's not a concern anymore."

She smiled up at him. "One by one, your biggest questions and concerns are being resolved. I think you're ready to set aside your past, to start a new life."

"I think so too." He locks eyes with her as best he can. "And when I do, will you be there with me? Will you be there through the start of my new life?"

Her face began turning red, but she payed it no mind. "Of course, Vince. I wouldn't leave you for anything." She reached up and placed her palm against his cheek. "You're my everything. I don't need anything else."

He reached his right hand up and placed it against hers gently. "Thank you."

They remained sitting together for a few minutes, each silent and lost in their own thoughts. She was absentmindedly stroking his golden left arm, her fingers gliding over the smooth metal. It was cool to the touch, and she didn't mind. He was thinking of the best way to word their relationship to their friends when they returned to Edge.

"Vince?"

"Hm?"

She stopped stroking his left arm. "I think we should rest up for the trip home. You need to get some sleep. According to the guy downstairs, you didn't get any sleep last night while worrying about me, right?"

"True." He squeezed her gently with his left arm, eyes closing. "I could always worry about that when we get back, though."

"No, let's not do that." She smiled at the offer. "I appreciate the thought, but you need rest, Vince. I do too, for that matter."

He sighed, then reluctantly let her go. She turned around and hugged him without warning. He gladly returned it, his right hand gliding down her hair, the strands running in between his fingers. She pulled back just enough to meet his eyes, then kissed him.

"Get some rest, Vince," she said once they had broken apart. "If another nightmare visits you, don't be afraid to tell me about it. I'm--"

"Here for me, I know." He gave her a smile. "As am I for you."

She smiled as he walked to the door. "Thank you for coming to save me from that spirit. I think that's the first time I've seen you act so selflessly."

He paused and turned to her, a small grin on his face. "Don't get used to it," he said simply.

She giggled. "I'll make a note," she said, winking. "See you tomorrow, Vince. I love you."

"I love you too, Tifa." He walked out of her room and closed the door, then walked into his room. He noticed the tray of food was gone and surmised the man downstairs had taken it. So he certainly wasn't expecting to hear someone talk to him from inside his room.

"Food's cold, Vinny. Kinda loses its flavor that way," a familiar voice said.

He froze and didn't bother turning to face the person the voice belonged to. "What're you doing here?"

He heard the tray as it was set down somewhere and heard feet land softly on the floor. "Aw, come on. That how you treat a friend? You're no fun."

He sat on the bed and lay down, eyes barely sweeping over the form that was Yuffie Kisaragi. "I told you to stay in Edge."

* * *

_I want to thank those who've reviewed. It tells me the story's done well so far, and since it was my first submission to , it makes me feel confident in my abilities as a fanfic writer. There will be more to come, I assure you. Also, for those of you who are curious, no, I don't write just FFVII fics. I just feel comfortable writing FFVII fics because I know the world of Final Fantasy VII better than any other game's world._

_...I say this, but have beaten FFVIII, FFX, FFXII, FFT, FFI and FFII. Wouldn't that technically mean I know the worlds of those games pretty well as well...? And yet, interestingly enough, I have NOT beaten FFVII as of yet. I get to Safer Sephiroth and feel confident, but then he blasts me with Supernove once or twice. I eventually run out of steam and watch helplessly as he finishes me off. Yeah, that's a motivating sight... sighs_

_Well, I'll stop bothering you now. I should have the next chapter up tomorrow, but as I said earlier, no guarantees, which I truly apologize for. -Spiritslayer_


	12. Words of Others

_Ah, I needed that break. So sorry, all, that I took those days off, but I got stuff done while I was offline. But now I'm back!_

_It pains me, considering the success this story's had, to say that the end is in sight for me. But it's already started to wind down on its own, I think, and tossing in a huge plot twist would just mess me all up, make this story feel... kinda awkward. I'm not one for long, long, long stories. Then again, I like this story a fair bit, so I might do something like that... I'll think about it._

_So, here's the next chapter for all of you! -Spiritslayer_

* * *

Yuffie looked at Vincent with a smile. "I did."

"You're here, not there." He closed his eyes slowly.

"I know. Cloud called us all up and told us that he had talked to Tifa, and that she was staying at the Nibelheim Inn. Cid came to pick us up, and, well..." She sighed. "Here we are."

"You're all here?"

"Well, yeah. I think I'm the only one in the inn right now, but we're all in Nibelheim one way or another." He felt his bed's right corner drop slightly and opened his eyes. She was sitting on the corner of the bed. "So, how is she?"

"Fine. Probably trying to sleep right now." He uttered a low growl at her. "So am I, for that matter."

"Well, ex_cuse_ me! It seemed to me like you were wide awake when you walked in!" she huffed.

"I was coming in to sleep." He closed his eyes again. "Leave me be."

"Hey, where's Tifa at?" she asked, standing quickly. "I won't pester her, I promise!"

"I somehow doubt that," he muttered. "We should let her sleep. I just finished checking on her, and she was fine."

"I'm not gonna bug her, I just want to see her! Please, Vinny? Tell me which room's hers."

"You know already. You must've figured out which room was mine by asking the desk clerk downstairs, so I'm sure you asked him about hers, too." He raised his right hand and waved her away. "Let me be."

"Aw, party pooper." She stuck her tongue out at him, forgetting his eyes were closed and cursing the fact in Wutainese. "Well, guess I'll leave you be for now. I'm gonna visit Tifa now." She opened the door and closed it once she had stepped outside. He faintly heard Tifa's door open and close and resigned himself to the fate that neither of them were likely going to get much sleep with a hyperactive ninja around. He decided to try all the same and gradually fell asleep.

When he next woke, he felt fully rested and wondered what time it was. He silently cursed the fact that he didn't wear a watch and set his feet on the floor. He listened to the sounds of the town outside the inn and deduced it was nighttime; there was nothing noteworthy happening outside, which meant it was rather quiet. He stood slowly, ears perking at the sound of footsteps outside his door. He gave a small smirk and walked silently as he could to the door. He silently grasped the doorknob and turned it slow as he dared, then threw the door open.

Yuffie stumbled into his room, landing on her side. "Ow," she groaned, sitting up slowly. "You punk. Why'd you go and do that?"

"Don't lean against doors like that. If the person in the room beyond wants to leave for some reason, you're in for a nasty shock," he said calmly, still smirking.

"Yeah, yeah. I get it now. Sheesh..." She stood up, frowning at him. "Ever heard of warning a girl?"

"And how was I supposed to know it was you outside the door?"

"Um..." She shook her head. "Nah, never mind. Well, good morning sleepyhead."

"Morning? What time is it?" he wondered aloud.

"I'm not telling you until you apologize for doing that to me," she said, tongue sticking out at him.

"Why should I have to apologize? I wasn't attempting to compromise the privacy of someone in their room," he said matter-of-factly. He brushed past her into the hallway. "And them more you stick your tongue out at me, the more of a child you make yourself seem."

He ignored her protests against what he said and paused outside Tifa's door. "Yuffie."

"What?!" she snapped.

"Is everyone else in their own room right now?" he asked, thinking he heard someone shuffling around in Tifa's room.

"Uh, a few of 'em," she said, joining him in the hallway. "The rest are in her room right now." She checked her watch. "And it's about 1:49 in the morning."

"Why're you still up?" he asked, knocking on Tifa's door.

"I was restless! Seeing Tifa asleep in the room earlier pretty much got me pumped! I waited for her to wake up, but it didn't happen."

They both watched as Cloud opened the door. He blinked at Vincent, then Yuffie. "Hey, Vincent. She's asleep right now."

"Has she woken yet?" he asked, cut off rudely by another of his friends.

"Vince! How ya been?" he heard someone exclaim. He felt a hand pull him roughly into the room and felt an arm clap around his shoulders. "Been ages, man!"

"Hello Cid," he said, looking the pilot over briefly. "You seem a bit slimmer."

"Well, worryin' about two of my friends can do that," he said, dropping his arm and sitting down. "Don't be a stranger, Vince! Sit down already! Tell us what's been goin' on with you for the last six months! Didn't catch either you or Tifa here at the get-together 'bout a month ago!"

Vincent was looking at Tifa's sleeping form as he wondered how to word what he had been doing since he had parted with them. "Traveling," he finally said, knowing it to be the rather blatant truth.

"Traveling, eh? Whereabouts?" Cid pressed, sitting casually in a chair near Vincent's. He sprawled his arms over the back of the chair, groaning slightly.

"Here and there," he replied, eyes still on Tifa. "She hasn't woken since you arrived?"

"Nope," Yuffie said. "I've been here since I saw you, and then Cloud joined me. I decided to try and get some sleep, but I couldn't. She's been asleep the whole time."

He was examining her carefully and realized that she was actually very-much-so awake, but she was masking it carefully. The only reason he figured it out was because of the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed. Her breaths were too rapid for someone who was asleep. He acknowledged her wish to remain silent and played along. "I see. Well, she should be fine later."

"Later?" Cloud asked. "What's that mean?"

"Yuffie said it was 1:49 in the morning just a few minutes ago." He felt he didn't need to expand upon it any more.

Cid looked affronted. "Hey, you dodged my question!"

Vincent shook his head. "I said 'here and there'."

"What the hell kinda answer's that, eh?! Ya can't tell yer ol' drinkin' buddy where ya been all this time?!" Cid snapped. It was evident he was getting angry, and Vincent guessed he was drunk too. "I know ya been to Edge; Cloud mentioned that! But where else ya been?!"

"Cid, please." Cloud looked at him with pleading eyes. "You're shouting, and I'm afraid you'll wake Tifa."

Cid grumbled something about 'snot-nosed bastards' before shuffling out of the room, possibly to his own room. Cloud sighed as Cid almost slammed the door; Yuffie caught it before it had a chance to slam. She glared down the hall at Cid, and walked out of the room into the hallway, shouting at him in Wutainese as she closed the door.

"Distractions aside..." Cloud muttered, occupying Cid's chair. He looked to Tifa. "I was so relieved when she answered her phone. I had called her practically daily once we established she had gone missing, and while it rang, she didn't pick up once."

Vincent settled for silence.

"I was shocked and very much so relieved when she did answer, though. I rushed to call everyone else once I got off the phone with her. Told her that I had seen--"

"Turks, Shinra." Vincent nodded. "She mentioned that."

Cloud sighed. "Where exactly did you find her?"

"Shinra Manor. My old room. She was laying atop my old coffin."

He raised an eyebrow. "Any ideas why?"

"No. I've been more focused on her health. She said she had been without food for a few days straight when I found her."

"Why didn't she leave?!" Cloud asked incredulously.

"Until just yesterday night, there was a spirit keeping anyone who entered the manor from leaving. She was barred by it."

"You beat it down, though."

"Not me. The Galian."

Cloud gave a nod of understanding. "She's been here since?"

"Once we left the manor, yes."

Cloud let another sigh of relief escape him. "I don't know..." he began.

"..."

"I don't know what I would've done if she had..." He didn't want to say it. "She means too much to me, and I was afraid that I had lost her for good."

Vincent remained calm, but his mind was racing. _Cloud loves her? He's never shown it before..._

Cloud looked at Vincent. "I think it's safe to say we all know she has feelings for me. The way she acted around me in the past just didn't suggest otherwise. And until she went missing, I'll admit I took that for granted. I love her, but never exactly gave it thought until she disappeared." He looked back to Tifa. "At first, we all thought she had just gone on vacation somewhere. But when she didn't come back for the get-together, we started worrying. That's when I first called her to check on her, make sure she was fine. When she didn't answer, we all knew at that moment that something had happened. I... lost sleep waiting for her to call me back, to let me know she was alright." He chuckled, an obvious lump forming in his throat. "I started to think I had done something to make her angry at me, and that's why she wasn't answering."

Vincent's eyes went to Tifa and he saw tears brimming at her eyes. _Further proof she's awake right now._

Cloud cleared his throat, standing. "Well, I still need some sleep. I've been awake for who knows how long now. And I know I can rest easily now, knowing she's fine and right here." He stepped toward Vincent and clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Thank you, Vincent. Thanks for finding her, for saving her. I can't think of any way to repay this debt to you."

Vincent merely replied with a nod.

"Well then, I'm off to bed. Need to get some sleep," Cloud muttered, stifling a yawn as he opened the door.

Once Vincent confirmed the door was closed and Cloud was out of earshot, he turned back to Tifa. "Well, what do you think?"

She rose an arm to her eyes and wiped the tears away. "...Stupid..."

He chuckled, standing and sitting down on the bed next to her. "Him?"

Her eyes fluttered open and she nodded. "Just when... I work past my feelings for him, realize that I'm really in love with another man... He has to come out and confess that he loves me. Oh, not directly to me, of course," she added, not bothering to sit up. "To the man I love most now. It's almost like he knows I love you and he wants to tear that away from me." She sniffed, fighting back tears again. "He can be so inconsiderate sometimes..."

He rested his claw carefully on her shoulder, the tips of his claw barely grazing her skin as he stroked her shoulder. "I know. How do you think I felt hearing him say that? About the woman I love, no less?"

She looked up at him. She gazed into his eyes, wiping her own periodically to keep the tears from obstructing her vision. She rested her left hand on his golden forearm, a small smile coming to her face. "This makes telling them about us harder, doesn't it? He knows you know how he feels about me, and might think ill of you."

Vincent nodded slowly. "He sure knows how to complicate things for us. And here I thought the only thing that'd complicate our relationship was my past..."

She gave a small chuckle in response. "I had thought so too. I had thought that with that behind us, there'd be nothing to worry about."

Vincent looked at her carefully. "...You still have lingering feelings for him, don't you?" he finally asked, wanting to hear the answer to his greatest fear right now. And yet, at the same time, he didn't want to know...

She shook her head. "I don't know, Vince. I want to say no, that I'm over him and ready to move on, but..." She wiped her eyes a final time, eyes resting on the tears now on her finger. "If that were the case, would I be crying right now? I just don't know what to make of this right now..." She saw him look away and continued. "But, feelings for him or not, I'm not going to end a relationship with someone who cares as much as you do about me. If Cloud was really so worried, shouldn't he have stopped working to search for me? But you were the only one who cared enough to search. That makes all the difference in the world, Vince, and I'd never--"

"Leave me for anything." He looked back at her, eyes shimmering slightly. "You said that earlier. You'd never leave me for anything in the world."

Tifa's mouth was hanging open slightly. "Vince, are you...?" she began.

His right hand went to his own eyes. "Something's in my eye," he mumbled, cursing himself silently for using the famous cliche response.

She sat up and hugged him. "I think," she said softly, "that this is the first time I've ever seen you cry."

He hugged her in return, both of them silent with tears brimming at their eyes. Vincent had been so afraid of losing the woman he loved once again, and his eyes had begun to shed tears he didn't even think he was capable of shedding anymore. Tifa was almost so glad to learn that Vincent was still capable of extreme human emotions such as happiness, sadness and fear, tears of relative joy were leaking to her eyes. She had touched his human heart, the one that they had both thought was lost when Hojo had forever changed Vincent's life.

As they sat in silence, they heard the door fly open and heard Yuffie grumbling something about Cid as she walked in. "Hey Vinny, she awake--" she began, eyes at the chair he had been sitting in. Her eyes slowly traveled to the bed to see the two of them together. A look of shock overcame her, which was quickly replaced by childish glee. She silently closed the door and sat down in the chair Vincent had been sitting in. "So..." she began, grinning ear to ear. "You two done some bonding while we were gone, eh?"

Vincent sighed and Tifa giggled. They pulled away slowly and reluctantly, their eyes resting on Yuffie. "Well, you could say that," Tifa said, smiling.

"What's that supposed to mean? Either you have or you haven't!" she protested somewhat loudly. Both of them gave her a stern look and she dropped her voice. "Oh, so no one else knows yet? Man, do I feel special!" she said quietly, a tone of giddiness in her voice.

"We'd prefer it if this remained a secret," Vincent said. "At least until we both decide to tell them."

Yuffie mimicked zipping her lips closed. "Safe with me!" she murmured to them.

Tifa shook her head. "Not good enough. I know you, Yuffie. You can't stand to keep things quiet like that."

"How about this? If I tell anyone else before you two do, you two can beat me up."

They looked at her awkwardly. "You're our friend, Yuffie. We'd never dream of doing that to you!" Tifa said.

"I like it," Vincent responded. "It only means she's serious about it. She knows we'd never beat her up unless she broke a big secret like this."

Yuffie almost beamed. "Good enough for me. So, are you two, like, actually in love? Or are you two just really really close?"

They hesitated, and smiled at one another. "We're in love," Tifa said, looking to Yuffie. Vincent nodded in agreement.

"Wow, I never would've seen this coming. I mean, no offense and all, but it just seems like you two are opposites and all. If I hadn't seen you two like that when I came in, I would've compared it to Cid falling for me."

"And we all know he can barely stand you," Vincent pointed out.

"Exactly." She began wiping fake tears from her eyes and sniffed dramatically. "Aw, my big vampire's grown up so much..."

He smirked at her, giving her a light punch in the arm. "I'm not a vampire, and you know it."

She grinned. "So, when you two planning on telling everyone else?"

"Oh, we were thinking... shortly before heading home to Edge." Tifa looked at Vincent. "Wasn't that it, Vince?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Depending on how Tifa's feeling later, that could be later today."

Yuffie was positively beaming. "Oh, I can't wait to see how everyone else reacts! I really, really, really, really, really can't wait! I almost want to tell them now!"

"Yuffie..." they both warned her sternly.

"I know, I know. I won't tell them." She stood and walked to the door, winking over her shoulder at them. "Well, guess I should leave you two alone. And don't worry, it's safe with me." She opened the door and slipped outside, closing it quietly.

They sat in silence for a moment. "We both know she'll tell them anyway," Tifa sighed.

"Mm. It'll kill her otherwise." He frowned slightly. "I know everyone else will accept it really well, but what about Cloud?"

"He's the one I'm really worried about, too. Just minutes earlier, he was in here talking about how he feels about me. This might..." She bit her lip. "Well, we'll worry about that when the time comes." She looked at him.

"Tifa, I have a question."

"Mm?"

"Well, it's more or less Cloud's question, but why were you in Shinra Manor? And in my old room, no less?"

"I... well, I felt close to you when I entered the mansion. I knew it held a lot of memories for you, since it was where we found you. It's tough to explain, really. I did think about going to Lucrecia's cave at some point, but because of that spirit..."

He listened to her quietly.

"I decided to go to your old room because it was the room Cloud, Barret and Cait Sith -- or rather, Reeve -- found you in. I had never been in it before and wanted to see what it was like when they were standing in that room, talking to you for the first time. It wasn't a complete guess, but I had a pretty good idea how they must've felt." She smiled softly, almost amused. "It was also the only place that didn't smell of death. I felt like I was going to pass out until I reached your room and closed the door."

"Do you have any idea who that man in the study was?"

"You mean the corpse?" Vincent nodded, and Tifa lay down again. "I have no idea. Like I had said, he was dead when I got there, and I couldn't make out his features. I didn't particularly care to try, either; the sight creeped me out, and I thought... I had heard a whisper or something while I was in the study."

"Must've been his ghost." He stood slowly. "Should I leave you be?"

"It's up to you. I don't mind either way."

"I'll let you get some sleep, then. I need to sleep as well; I'm still somewhat exhausted." He bent over and kissed her softly. "Good night."

"Good night. I love you, Vince."

"I love you too." He straightened up and walked to the door quietly, opening it and stepping outside. He closed it and pondered the man who had been in the study. _It... couldn't hurt to find out who he was..._

_**You imbecile.**_

The Galian's voice startled Vincent, but he gathered himself quickly. _Good to hear from you too. Now, why'm I an imbecile?_

_**You've found someone who loves you more than her big infatuation. You'd really risk your life to discover who some cadaver is? You'd really endanger her feelings like that?**_

_You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were my conscience. But regardless, I should find out what he was obsessed with in his final moments. If there are other spirits roaming the manor, I know who I can turn to in order to deal with them._

_**Hmph. I won't save you unless it looks like the spirit's about to take away my only chance of taking you over. You realize this, right?**_

_Fine, then I won't depend on you._ He walked slowly toward his room to fetch Cerberus. _It's not like I can't hold my own against a ghost here or there anyway. It's just faster if you deal with them._

Minutes later, he was standing outside the gate to Shinra Manor. As far as he could tell, he was the only one outside. He rested his hand on the gate slowly, eyes narrowed. _If I don't do this, it'll bug me to no end. I need to find out who he was and why he died down here._

_**I'm not stopping you, but I'm not going to help you either.**_

_Noted._ He leapt over the fence and walked to the doors to the manor. They were closed again. _Huh. I left them open yesterday, mainly to air it out... _He yanked the doors open and almost gagged as the smell of death swept over him again. He slowly stepped inside, taking care to leave the doors wide open.

At the time, he had no way of knowing what awaited him in the basement.

* * *

_The next chapter's fun. Just pure and simple. Least, I think so. But, to keep you all in suspense, I'm not going to put it up until tomorrow. One a day has and still is my pattern._

_Until tomorrow, then! -Spiritslayer_


	13. The Future Confronted

_Alright, people! How's everyone today? No, I have no idea why I'm in such a good mood. Just... thought I'd put that out there real quick._

_In other news... Actually, there's really nothing newsworthy happening here. I'll just let you guys read this chapter, then. -Spiritslayer_

* * *

His eyes were searching the manor slowly and carefully as he walked, wondering about the state of the doors when he entered. _Even if one of my friends came by here, they would've left the doors open so it could keep airing out._ Much to his relief, there was no feeling of being watched this time. It allowed him a somewhat comfortable trip toward the stone door.

_**You seem rather relaxed for someone in a manor with someone else you don't know.**_

_Where's the guarantee they're still in here?_ he thought, mildly surprised to find the stone door already ajar. He chuckled bitterly. _So they leave the stone door open, but decide the doors to the outside can stay shut? Makes no sense..._

He reached the door to the study when he thought he heard shuffling around from behind it. He hesitated, then grasped the doorknob. _Well, someone's in here._ He turned it slowly and opened it quickly, much as he had done with Yuffie earlier. His hand shot from the doorknob to Cerberus in case whoever it was decided to attack him, and he walked in.

His eyes searched the first part of the study and he heard the shuffling stop. He moved slowly to observe the rest of the study and see if the other person was brave enough to venture close to the corpse. His right hand twitched as he heard something hit the floor down the small corridor. He was sure they were both aware of one another by now, and if, by some miracle, only he knew about the other, he decided to throw caution to the winds.

"Who's here?" he asked sharply, hand unwavering over Cerberus.

No response.

He walked down the small corridor and noticed something that unnerved him to no end; the corpse was no longer sitting in the chair. _Someone moved it. I could understand if it were for burial purposes, but I have a feeling it's not that simple._ He heard the shuffling noise again, and froze in place; it had come from _behind_ him this time. He quickly drew Cerberus and whipped it behind him, eyes following it. Nothing. He held it up, looking toward the desk once more. _The book our dead man was reading is still there. Might as well figure out why he died over a book._ He progressed to the desk and lowered Cerberus long enough to pick up the book and examine its title. Or rather, he tried to.

The title was obscured, making it practically impossible to decipher. He squinted at it, hoping to see something if he did, but no luck. He dropped the book on the desk and raised Cerberus again. It was at this point that he was suddenly aware of being watched again. _Don't tell me. Shinra Manor's home to multiple ghosts now._

_**I can't see it, and neither can you, but I somehow feel this isn't a ghost that's watching us. It feels... almost human.**_

Vincent looked around carefully, hoping to catch telltale signs of his ghost/invisible person. Finding none, he sighed frustratedly, lowering his weapon to his side. His eyes went back to the book. _Well, I know why Tifa came to the manor, and to my room. Might as find out what the dead man was reading before he died._ He picked it up once more, flipping pages as he skimmed its contents.

_**This is...**_

_But... why? There's no way..._ He dropped the book unwittingly, in shock. _Why would anyone be interested in..._

_**And after it's been slain, too.**_

_Someone had an interest in JENOVA even after we killed her? It... makes no sense..._ He began skimming other books that were scattered around the study, leaving the ones on the shelves alone. Each one he skimmed pertained to JENOVA in some way, spiking his curiousity even more.

Because he was so absorbed in trying to figure this out, he didn't see the flicker of his mysterious companion's camoflauging. Nor did he hear a small female voice curse the fact that her camoflauge had faltered for a moment.

_**Valentine.**_

_What is it now?_

_**You may be dead to the rest of the world right now as you ponder the sudden interest in JENOVA, but I'm not. At what point are you going to remember there's someone else in here?**_

His eyes tore from the book as he dropped it onto the stack it came from. _I just had to make sure it was an interest in JENOVA after all, and not some coincidence._ His eyes began searching the study again.

If he had been paying more attention, he would've seen the door to the study open and shut silently, a pause between the two suggesting that the 'someone else' had left.

He did, however, breathe a small sigh of relief as the feeling of being watched ceased. _Well, I'm not being watched anymore. And since the corpse isn't here anymore, I'll just go. No harm can come of studying a dead lifeform, I think._

_**You're not the least bit worried about whoever it was that was in here with you?**_

_Whoever it was is gone now, I think. So yes, I'm not worried about it._ He opened the door and stepped outside. That's when his eyes caught something further down. He had spotted someone walking toward the steps that led up and, ultimately, out of Shinra Manor. _Is that...?_ He began running down the subterranean corridor, his clicking of his gold-plated feet on the stone and dirt giving away his position.

The other person froze and turned their head to face him. He thought he could make out traces of a smirk seconds before the person vanished seemingly into thin air. He slowed down and raised Cerberus at the spot he last saw the mystery person at. "Stop hiding already. I know you're still here." _I hope._

_**Heh.**_

No response, but it wasn't like he had been expecting one anyway. He stepped forward carefully, gun trained on the spot as he went. _Where are they...?_ "Coward. Show yourself."

He heard a small clicking noise from behind him and spun around, gun pointed at the source. He hesitated to pull the trigger, and would ultimately wish he hadn't hesitated.

A sudden jolt seized his body. He forced his eyes to travel to what he believed to be the source and saw a small saber crackling with electricity pressed against his left forearm. _But... how...?_ he wondered as the saber withdrew and the jolt ceased. His body and gravity took over and he slumped to the ground, still conscious.

"I am not a coward," he heard a female voice say, a triumphant tone evident. "And you are not as dangerous as you may think you are." He heard her walking away and tried forcing himself up to see who it was. His body wouldn't respond, and he could only listen to her footsteps fade, changing to a dull 'plunk' as she reached the wooden pathway leading up.

After some time, his body started responding to his commands again, and he picked himself up off the ground, staggering slightly. He recovered Cerberus and holstered it, giving his head a small shake to clear up any slight dizziness that settled in. _Who was that? And her weapon... what was...?_

_**You ask like I should know the answer to that. This isn't something I can help you with, Valentine. The weapon was just as foreign to me as it was to you.**_

_It wasn't so much foreign. Reno's EMR is similar in nature, but... _He shook his head, this time not wanting to believe his next thought. _Well, his doesn't pack that huge a punch. It felt like hers was hooked up to a generator, whereas you know Reno's runs off a predetermined charge._

_**Call it a battery already.**_

Vincent ignored the demon and began walking to leave the manor, yet another question on his mind. Yet another question that, he knew, would go unanswered for some time. He decided that he should set it aside for the time being and get back to the inn. If Yuffie was still awake, she was likely to be looking for him so she could pester him. While he was enjoying the peace, he didn't want anyone worrying about his sudden absence, and decided he could just ignore Yuffie.

Once he was outside again, he made sure the doors were wide open and breathed deeply, attempting to flush his nose of the smell from within.

_**It's not too bad once you get used to it, Valentine.**_

_Only a demon would have that train of thought. I'm not a demon._

_**Oh? Then what are you?**_

_Human._ He gave a small smile, his mind turning to Tifa. _She's proven that countless times now._

_**Humans and love. I'll never understand it.**_

_Have you, Galian, ever been in love?_

_**Have I... WHAT?! **_the demon roared furiously. _**Love is for those weak of mind! For beings such as yourself!**_

Vincent chuckled quietly to himself, brushing his cloak off. _So you say. And yet you haven't answered._

_**Of course I haven't been in love! I don't need trivial feelings and emotions like that! Love generates new weaknesses that enemies can exploit!**_

_And yet, people fall in love despite that._

_**See, that's a human trait. Idiocy, I mean.**_

_I'll make a note of that._ Vincent set off for the inn. _So, if idiocy's a human trait, love is a trait common to both humans and demons?_

_**I never said that! Valentine, if you twist my words anymore, I'll--**_

_You'll what? Besides, that's just a deduction I reached. You, however, seem awfully intent on evading the topic of love. Is it possible you have been in love, and that you're simply hiding it from me?_

_**Enough of your bickering!**_ a new voice erupted from within Vincent. He fell silent and the Galian Beast ceased its argument. _**I've had nearly enough of you two arguing like human children! If it weren't up to Valentine, I'd take over right now and dig out your very core, Galian! And yes, I realize what that'd do to you, Valentine! Silence already!**_

It had happened once or twice in the past, but Vincent was always surprised to hear it regardless. Whereas Death Gigas and Hellmasker remained silent practically all the time, Chaos had spoken up a couple times in the past, if only to silence Vincent and the only demon that gave him trouble. By Vincent's count, this made the third time ever that Chaos had spoken out like that. When Chaos spoke, all fell silent inside Vincent's mind. Neither him nor the Galian wanted to risk angering Chaos further by uttering anything, even an apology.

He reached the inn in silence, nodding to the innkeeper.

"Ah, Mr. Valentine! Your friends were looking for you!"

"I took a walk," he said simply. "Are they still...?"

"Far as I can tell, yes, they're still awake."

_All of them?_ he wondered to himself. He wondered if Yuffie would really wake everyone up just because he had left the inn for a while. He chuckled as he opened his door.

"There he is!" he heard Yuffie exclaim loudly. "Vinny, where'd you get off to?!"

"I took a walk," he told her. "Am I not allowed to?"

"You could've told one of us first!"

"I was under the impression that everyone had gone to bed. I didn't want to disturb anyone more than I had to."

"Well, Yuffie here did that for ya." Cid gave a slightly angry sniff. "I was finally dozin' off, too. Come 'ere, ya little shit! I'll teach ya to mess with yer elders like that!" he said, moving toward her. She gave a small shout of surprise and tore past Vincent, heading downstairs. Cid smirked, moving back to the chair he had been sitting in. "Finally, it's quiet again."

"But for how long?" Vincent mused. He looked around at Cloud, Barret, who was asleep, Reeve, Nanaki, who was also asleep, Cid and...

His eyes rested on Tifa's, noting the worry that was evident in them. He was a little surprised to see her out of bed, but wasn't worried about it; he knew she would still be in bed if she felt she wasn't fit to be up and about. "Sorry to worry you," he said.

"Forget it," Cid said. "We know ya can handle yerself in a fight no problem. Kinda figured you went for a walk, but ya never know. That little shit," he added, jerking his head to the door to indicate the ninja that had run out, "was tossing possibility after possibility out there, sayin' that maybe ya had gotten yer ass beaten really bad and bullshit like that."

His mind flicked to his encounter in Shinra Manor and made him ponder, if only for a brief second, if that would count as 'getting his ass beaten'. He decided 'no' and gave a small chuckle. "No. I went for a walk, simple as that."

Everyone sighed, but Tifa's eyes narrowed slightly. She knew better, and decided to get it out of him when everyone else had dispersed.

"See? I told her he can hold his own against anything!" Cid chuckled. "We didn't have to worry 'bout ya!"

"Cid, it was just a walk. I wasn't jumped by anyone."

"Yeah, yeah. Ye're too modest, Vince. We heard the gunshots faintly."

Vincent shook my head. "If you _must_ know, I took a walk into Shinra Manor. I wasn't outside."

"Oh? Then who... Oh." Cid still looked confused, but shrugged it off. "Well, if that weren't ya, then why we worryin'? We should be gettin' rest!" He stood and walked out of the room, stretching his arms out as he did.

Cloud woke Barret and Nanaki and nodded to Vincent before leaving the room. Barret and Nanaki followed suit.

Reeve cleared his throat. "Well, good night, Vincent. Oh, and..." He gave a small smile, looking from Vincent to Tifa and back. "Yuffie told me. I won't tell anyone else, I promise. But still... Vincent, I didn't think you would ever move on like that."

Vincent chuckled, mainly at the thought of getting Yuffie to explain herself. "Well, I can't let my past run my future, now can I? With her help, I was able to pick up the pieces of my past and begin my life again."

He grinned. "Good for you. Both of you, congratulations."

"Reeve, it's not like we're getting married," Tifa said, blushing all the same. "We just realized we're in love with one another."

"Oh, is that right?" He didn't sound convinced, and he chuckled again. He walked to the door. "Well, I'm glad you both found love all the same. Take care." He was almost out of the room when Vincent stopped him.

"Wait. Reeve, on my way out of Shinra Manor, I was... attacked. By someone who's mastered the art of concealment, by someone who wielded a saber surging with electricity. Do you have anyone from the WRO currently situated in Nibelheim?"

He shook his head after some thought. "I don't, no. As it is, the WRO isn't that big. I will say I'm surprised you heard I was the head of it, though. We've been out of contact for about six months now."

"Yuffie's mouth seems to run away from her sometimes," Vincent added, smirking and sitting down on his bed. "She told me."

"Makes sense, then. But I can assure you I have no one from the WRO here in Nibelheim." He turned to face Vincent. "Are your wounds serious?"

"She struck my left forearm, paralyzing me momentarily with the electricity from her saber. She used that time to make her escape. It's nothing serious."

Reeve gave a small nod. "I'll keep that in mind. Well, good night, you two." He left Tifa and Vincent alone.

"You were attacked?!" Tifa asked quietly, a look of concern on her face. "But... surely she was injured!"

Vincent shook his head. "As I said, she was a master of concealment. I'm not sure how she did it, but..." He looked at the spot where the saber had struck his forearm. "If it's not WRO, then who could it be?"

"But you're okay," she said, looking at him.

"I'm fine. A little affronted that I was caught off guard like that, but otherwise fine."

She stood and started for the door, pausing and placing her hand on his face. "Well, you weren't out for 'just a walk'. What were you doing in Shinra Mansion?"

"I was trying to figure out who the dead man was and what he was reading up on. His body's gone, but he was reading up on JENOVA. I wonder if he knew she's finished."

"Where'd this attack tie into it?"

"I guess I wasn't the only one wondering. Maybe she was the one who moved his body. Maybe the body was procured for a funeral and burial. All I know is that she didn't mean well."

She bent over and kissed him quickly. A small smile came to her lips. "Don't let it bother you, okay? Chances are pretty good you'll never see her again, never have to fight her again."

"It's not like I saw her very well in the first place," he said, grinning slightly. "But certainly, I won't let it bother me. I don't let things like that bother me for too long."

She caressed his cheek, dropping her hand in time. "Well, we're headed home at roughly 11:30 this morning. Best get some rest. We'll figure out how to tell everyone else about us later."

He nodded. "Good night, Tifa. I love you."

"Love you too, Vince." She swooped down to kiss him again.

"A-ha!" they heard from the door. "Caught ya in the act!"

Vincent smirked. "Yuffie, care to explain why Reeve knows?"

"Uh... Wait, he told you he knew?! He said he wouldn't!"

Tifa ushered a shocked Yuffie out of the doorframe, glancing back at Vincent. "Good night."

He nodded to her and watched the door close. _I have a feeling I'll see that girl from earlier at a later time._

_**You're positive?**_

_Well, not completely. It's a hunch._ He lay down on the bed and sighed. _Her voice... she couldn't have been more than ten years old, if I'm guessing right._

_**You're looking into this too much. It doesn't matter what age the opponent, anyone could hand your ass to you on a silver platter.**_

_If I'm unaware, yes. And even then, you can't._

_**You... I dare you to say that again.**_

Vincent smirked, closing his eyes. _I'll pass on that._

* * *

_Okay, to cover something really, really quick... And yes, there are spoilers for those of you who haven't finished DoC yet, so bear with..._

_For those of you who are wondering, yes, his assailant was Shelke. Why she's out of the Midgar Underground, I have no idea. But technically (and if I'm not mistaken), Deepground didn't exactly express an interest in Vincent until after Hojo 'possessed' Weiss. I'm assuming this story falls into the time-frame BEFORE Hojo took over Weiss, and am settling for just simply saying 'Shelke had gone to the surface and decided to explore the world a little.' That being said, I have NO idea why she'd be the only DG soldier, a Tsviet at that, on the surface in the first place, but bear with me, please. I was bored and had a 'what if' thought while I was writing this._

_This isn't exactly 'news', per se, in that it's not exactly life changing, but for the first time in a while, I've fallen... IN LOVE! Yeah, I know. Sounds lame, right? But the thing is my heart was, for a long time, captivated by my last ex, and I've had a little trouble moving on. Talking to a friend recently helped me realize that my heart's been moved on, my mind just hasn't acknowledged it properly. As for who it is... I can't say. Because it's cooler as a secret. The more I think about it, this might be why I'm in such a good mood today... Hm..._

_So, I'll put up the only chapter I have left for this story tomorrow, and I'll see what happens from there. I may end the story with it, I may write another one or two or five. I may have a spark of inspiration and do a sequel, I may leave it alone. It's all up in the air right now, but the fact that the next one will be the last one for a little while, at least, is set in stone. Or... in my computer's hard drive. Typed. Finished. ...You get the point._

_I'm off for now, and I apologize to those of you who've been waiting for an update on my other story Hiding Secrets while reading this one. I have the next chapter typed up already for Hiding Secrets, but I'm questioning whether or not I want to use it... I know, indecision's going to be the end of me one day. I can't help it. -Spiritslayer_


	14. New Day, New Life

_Hey all! Things are winding down with this. As it is, I don't have any more chapters for this written out, so... I **might** leave it open-ended for now. Might turn it 'Complete' status for a while, might just leave it as is. I will say I'm planning one more chapter at least, but I'm having troubles with it (surprise!). But until I finish it, It's going to be a little tough putting it up._

_I'll let you read this chapter, then I'll rant more. A **LOT** more. -Spiritslayer_

* * *

Yuffie wasted no time waking everyone up by 11:00 in the morning. Vincent was exceptionally annoyed by her actions, and only got out of bed because he didn't want to be left behind to get back to Edge on his own.

Needless to say, Yuffie jumpstarted his day, and he didn't appreciate it.

"Hey, Vinny! Hurry up!" she shouted into his room.

"Would you tone it down before I silence you for good?" he growled. "I heard you the first time, dammit. You don't need to shout at me."

She shrugged off his threat and gave a small nod. "Everyone else is outside already. It's just you dragging your feet, Vinny."

"Go join them and I'll be right there," he muttered, rubbing his temples. "You're giving me a headache already."

"See you there in five minutes, then. If you're not down there then, I'm coming back to drag you down!" she joked.

"You come back in five minutes, and I'll be carrying your unconscious body downstairs with me," he warned.

She took the hint and glared at him. "Hey! You don't need to threaten me!" she pouted, storming out of his doorway. "I'm telling Tifa!"

He didn't even dignify what he dubbed an empty promise as he continued preparing for the trip back to Edge. He checked to make sure he had everything he brought with him and scanned the room once more. _So much has happened in just two days._

_**You sound like you're going to miss Nibelheim.**_

_No, I doubt that. It just feels like we've been here for roughly a week now._ He walked out of the room and closed the door behind him, accidentally applying more force to it than he intended; it slammed shut behind him. _Yeah, that'll make everyone think I'm having a good day,_ he thought bitterly, a small smirk on his face. He walked down the stairs and nodded his head to the innkeeper before stepping outside.

His eyes caught his friends standing beneath the well and he approached slowly.

"Morning, Vince!" Cid called, unusually cheery.

Vincent responded with a small wave, his eyes glaring at Yuffie.

"Well, that's all of us," Cloud said, looking around. "Shall we get going?"

They all nodded and Cid set off first. "I'll go start 'er up, then. Meet ya in five!" he called, jogging out of Nibelheim.

Tifa walked up to Vincent and nodded her head to the side. "Could I talk to you really quick?" she asked, glancing over her shoulder at the others.

He followed her wordlessly, wondering what was going on. As soon as Tifa felt they were out of earshot, she turned to face him. He noticed her face was set with concern over something... "What's wrong, Tifa?"

"Vince, how are we... how are we going to tell them?" she asked nervously. "I can't think of some way of telling them that won't pull Cloud's spirit under. He's been... well, since I've been awake, he's been really..." She sighed. "Vince, I think he's working up the nerve to tell me how he feels. And I don't want him to say it, because then I'll hurt him when I tell him where my heart lies. But even if we tell him..."

"Tifa, either way, he's going to be disappointed. I think it'd be easier if we both tell him, so he doesn't think we tried hiding it from him."

"You think so?" She glanced over her shoulder at Cloud, then back to Vincent. She nodded firmly. "Right. We'll both tell them, but when?"

"Once we board the airship. Unless you think that's too soon," he added.

She shook her head, smiling softly. "No, it's not too soon. I think it's perfect, actually; if we wait until we reach Edge, we might miss our chance to tell Cloud as well as everyone else. At least on the airship, we have everyone there."

"So it's decided. We tell them after boarding the airship so that Cid doesn't chance crashing it on us."

She laughed. "Knowing him, he might, too. Yeah, before we take off, then. That's... just a few minutes from now," she said. She closed her eyes slowly and took a deep breath. "I'm nervous, Vince. I thought I'd know how everyone else would react, but..."

He rested his right hand on her shoulder. "We'll be fine."

"You're not nervous?"

He nodded. "Of course I am. There's just no point letting it get to me."

"You're right. I can't let it bother me." She opened her eyes and nodded again. "Well, let's rejoin our friends and get ready to head home."

"To a new life," he added.

"To a new life," she echoed. "I guess things will be much different from now on."

"I couldn't think of anyone better to face new challenges with than you, Tifa."

Her face turned a soft red. "Thanks, Vince. Well, let's go. They're setting out now, and we don't want to hold them up."

They progressed to the airship and boarded it one at a time, Vincent boarding last. He followed everyone else to the bridge and looked to Tifa, who nodded and looked at Cid.

"Cid, could you delay take-off for a few minutes?" she asked kindly.

"Fer what? Don't tell me someone forgot somethin'," he complained.

"It's... no, no one forgot something." She walked over to Vincent and felt everyone follow her with their eyes. "It's just that... Well, I have something to say to everyone."

"As do I," Vincent added. "We felt it'd be best to speak our mind before taking off, lest Cid crash the airship later."

"Hey! I ain't that bad a pilot, Vince!" the pilot shouted. "Where you get off with dissin' me like that, anyway?!"

"Shut up, old man!" Yuffie snapped. "They got something to say!" She turned back to the pair. "Well, what's up?" she added, a small grin on her face; she had a feeling she knew what it was, and was restraining herself as best she could from bursting out with the news.

Tifa nodded to Yuffie. "Thanks, Yuffie." She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Well, the thing is..." She looked over her shoulder at Vincent, eyes showing signs of helplessness. He took this to mean she couldn't find words and took over.

"We've all learned a few things about one another over the past couple days since we've been here. And Tifa and I have something to say along those lines. We've learned a lot not just about each other, but about ourselves as well." He paused a moment and looked at Tifa, who was smiling. She gave a small nod, and he continued. "We both learned we made mistakes in the past, and we helped the other sort them out, realize what those mistakes were, and deal with them accordingly. And during that time, we realized one other thing, something neither of us were expecting, I'm sure."

Yuffie looked as though she was about to explode, and Reeve was fighting back a smile.

"What we realized," Tifa said, taking over for Vincent, "is that we held one common mistake, and when the time came for us to resolve it..." She backed into him, resting her head against his chest. He gently wrapped his arms around her. "Well, we realized we were in love. And, we realized that our newfound love wasn't far at all." She looked up at Vincent, smiled, and looked down at their friends again.

Yuffie couldn't hold it back any longer and gave an annoyed shout. "Just say it already!" she snapped. "Just tell them you two love one another!"

Silence settled around them as what Yuffie said sank into everyone else's minds. They looked at Tifa and Vincent. "Wait, is she..." Cid began, a small smile playing at his mouth.

Vincent nodded. "She's telling the truth. We're in love with each other."

Both of them were suddenly met with cheers, and they smiled. Tifa turned in his arms and looked up at him. "That wasn't as hard as I thought it'd be," she said.

"Well, Yuffie more or less said it for us," he reminded her. "But certainly, it was easier than I first thought, too."

Cid walked from his spot behind the pilot's wheel and clapped Vincent on the back. "Well, congratulations, you two! I never woulda seen this coming, especially from you, Vince! Treat her well, ya hear?" he said, starting to laugh.

"So, Cid. Think you might've crashed if we said that in flight?" Tifa teased.

He looked thoughtful for a moment and gave a sheepish grin. "As much as it pains me to admit, I think so."

Barret joined Cid and nodded his head to both of them. "Glad ta hear you two've found love! Vincent, take care a' her, ya hear? If I find out anything's happened to her..." He clenched his left hand.

Vincent chuckled. "Noted. But I won't do anything to put her in danger. I promise you that."

They were congratulated, talked to, and the like for about five minutes by everyone. Everyone except...

Tifa turned to face Vincent. "I think... I should talk to Cloud," she said quietly; things had calmed down considerably and they were in flight.

Vincent shook his head gently. "I'll talk to him. I insist," he added, cutting off her protest.

She gave a reluctant nod. "Well, if you insist, then..." She looked over at the blonde swordsman at the very front of the bridge, looking at the ground pass below them. She looked back at Vincent and kissed him quickly. "Let me know how he takes it."

Vincent nodded to her, and slowly released her. He walked toward Cloud slowly, joining him after some moments' hesitation. "Cloud."

Cloud gave a small grunt.

"Are you alright?"

He closed his eyes and sighed gently. "How long have you two...?"

Vincent paused, then replied with "Since yesterday morning. Shortly before you guys arrived, if I'm not mistaken."

"So before I told you how I felt about her," he said, eyes still closed. His voice wasn't wavering, and Vincent couldn't read Cloud's body language. The gunner was at a loss for how to determine Cloud's current attitude, but set it aside for now.

"Yes. We had realized how we felt before you told us."

"Us? She was asleep," Cloud argued.

Vincent shook his head. "She was awake. She heard how you felt, too."

The swordsman let a drawn out sigh escape him, and he chuckled. "Makes me wonder why she faked sleep..." he muttered. "She must really not have wanted to see me, then..."

"Cloud, you gave her mixed feelings for a long time. She was unsure of how you felt about her. She eventually decided that..."

"Decided what?"

"...Decided that she wouldn't put herself through the torment of not knowing how the person she loved felt about her."

Cloud opened his eyes slowly and Vincent caught the look in them. _Sadness, anger. Sad that Tifa moved on, no doubt angry at me for being the one she went to._

"I... I've always loved her, Vincent. I've never been able to figure out a good way to tell her, though... I was planning on telling her just before we boarded, but she wanted to talk to you..."

"Cloud, you're angry at me, aren't you? I see the anger in your eyes, and I can say... I understand why."

Cloud shook his head. "I'm not mad at you, Vincent. I'm mad at myself. Mad that I couldn't bring myself to tell her sooner how I felt. Mad to know that I strung her along like that, made her suffer as she did. I just... No, I'm not mad at you. In fact, I want to thank you for taking that torment away from her, for helping her overcome it." He looked at Vincent. "You also noticed I'm a bit let down, I'd imagine."

"I did notice, and I can understand that. It's not easy to hear the woman you love say she loves someone else. I know how that feels, Cloud."

"With you and Lucrecia," Cloud nodded slowly. "Listen, I'm happy for both of you. I really am. It's just... well, I think you can understand where I'm coming from here. I wish you both all the best in your life together. Oh, and one other thing, Vincent." He gave his friend a stern look. "If you ever leave Tifa alone like that again, if you ever make her cry and don't apologize, if you ever break her heart..." He narrowed his eyes. "I will find you and make you pay for it dearly, possibly with your life. I'm glad she's free of that torment, but if you bring any to her yourself, I'll put our friendship aside for the sake of the person I hold most dear in my heart."

Vincent chuckled. "Fair enough. However, I must warn you, Cloud. I have no intention of breaking her heart at all."

Cloud gave a small smile. "Glad to hear it." He extended his hand to Vincent. "Again, I wish you both all the best, and... well, congratulations."

The gunner clasped the hand in front of him and shook it. "Thank you, Cloud."

Vincent felt Cloud drop the handshake and gave him a nod, turning slowly and walking back to Tifa.

_**Well well well. That seemed to go a bit too easily, Valentine.**_

Vincent hadn't been expecting to hear the Galian's voice, and he gave a small, almost inaudible sigh. _Will you ever stop bothering me?_

_**Don't you wish. Valentine, listen up, as I'm only saying this once.**_

Vincent almost questioned the tone of the Galian. Was that tone... almost friendly?

_**It's apparent I'll never be able to soften you up again to force another transformation, so I may as well come to terms with the facts. As maddening as it may be to me, you've moved on from your past and are ready to start a new life. It's... well, unbearable to know that someone will miss you now if you were to go missing, and... Ah, forget it. I'll come out and say it. I apologize for causing you so much torment, and realize that you may never forgive me for some of the things I've said and done to you. I can live with that, though, and either way... I wish the two of you happiness.**_

Vincent stopped walking toward Tifa, dumbstruck. Had the impossible really happened?

_**If you... if either of you ever need my help for anything, I'll willingly help, whether it be on the physical plane or my thoughts on something. I suppose it's the only way I can make up for what I've done to you.**_

_I... don't know what to say._

_**Vincent Valentine... no, Vincent. For once... I'm glad to call you my host.**_

Tifa walked up to Vincent slowly, confused. "Are you...?"

"I'm fine. In fact, I've never felt better." He smiled at her. "Cloud's accepted it and wishes us the best."

She sighed in relief, muttering a quiet "Thank Gaia..."

"There's one other person who's accepted these changes and wishes us the best. And I never would've thought it possible otherwise."

"Other... person?" she asked.

"Well, 'demon' is more accurate. The Galian inside me has wished us the best and offered us his aid on either the physical or mental planes."

"The demon that... tries taking you over from time to time?" she asked in disbelief. "He's really accepting it?"

"However begrudgingly it may be, yes. He realizes he'll never get a chance to take me over again, and has decided to live with it instead."

She wrapped her arms around him, smiling as she did. "No more worrying about that, then. Well, with that news, our new life can really begin."

He looked outside, eyes on the distant town of Edge as it drew steadily nearer. "And I can't think of anyone better to have at my side through it," he said softly.

* * *

_Now, the rant._

_By now, you've seen where I could get away with leaving it at this. As I've said, I do have one more chapter planned. I'm just not sure where to take it from here. I'm open to suggestions at this point in time. Leave said suggestions in a review or PM me if there's a direction you want to see this turn. I might do a sequel with it, or if it's small enough, I might just do another chapter or two or five. I'll let the readers decide what goes down next. No, I'm not that strapped for ideas! I'm just... wondering how... you all... see this going... Yeah, that sounds good. coughs_

_Whoa, wait a sec! The Galian's okay with this?! I decided that it was time for me to put the obvious animosity between them aside, even if for a while (meaning yes, it could turn to hell again, if done right). And what better place and time than when the two tell everyone else what's gone down the last two days? After Cloud accepts it, no less. And when you think about it, the Galian more or less 'led' Vincent to his new life, pointing out his shortcomings, knowing deep down that Vincent would act to correct them. Maybe... the demon was sick of inhabiting such a dreary host...? Ah, the wonders of life. Wait, is that really a wonder...? Yeah. Yeah, I guess it is._

_As this story seems to be drawing to a close, it's time for me to thank those who reviewed. Let's see... And this is starting from the very first review, by the way..._

_Thanks to **VIAMB, blueravenchick, TSume Sumeragi, biting bullets, tupelogurl, BeckyLynn, Federaldragon, EmileeElectro **and **misikoblossom. **I will say at this point that with the first couple chapters, I was feeling a little skeptical about this story's success, but now I see just how well received it is. This was only brought so far by you guys, so a big **THANK YOU!!** to you. And to those readers who read, but didn't review, thanks much for reading!_

_Now, if only I could bring my other story, Hiding Secrets, up to speed... it's been nearly a week since I last updated that, and I'm stuck on the next chapter... Hrm..._

_I retreat into shadow for now, to perfect Chapter 3 of Hiding Secrets. Oh, and character bios for my OCs. 'Wait, you have OCs?!' Oh yes. Five thus far. I hope to put them into stories at some point in the future, each and every one of them. It just makes sense, I think, to establish their histories and whatnot so that I can't put them in a story and suddenly find myself going 'well, no... maybe it shoulda been that way instead...'_

_Ah, I keep ranting, don't I? Well, thanks for reading! -Spiritslayer_


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